Trampled Butterflies
by Ardent Aspen
Summary: When MECH tampers with the past in an attempt to gain an advantage over the future, the present is thrown wildly out of balance. The Autobots and the kids must find each other again before they are erased from existence entirely. Throw in some superstitious peasants, four warring tribes of Cybertronians, and a power-hungry magistrate, and you've got the makings of an adventure!
1. Chapter 1

**Brand new story, everyone! Ohhhhh...I have got some butterflies in my stomach, I can tell you! Ah well, best to get it over with. Welcome to Trampled Butterflies!**

**A brief note: the "Cybertronian" language I use here is a mixture of the Nez Perce words I've been using in "Mirrors" and bold print **

**Some vocab as follows, pronunciations are pretty much guessed at by me:**

**T'o't: Sire/Father. Can be used literally or as a term of great respect (TOH-eh-TAH)**

**I'ts'a: Carrier/Mother. Can be literal, or a term of great respect (EET-sah)**

**Y'ats'a: informal for elder brother, can be a term of endearment (YAHT-sah)**

**Piyep: formal for elder brother, can be a term of respect (PEE-yep)**

**Nene': informal for elder sister, can be a term of endearment (NAY-neh)**

**K'anis: younger sister, can be a term of endearment (KAHN-iss)**

**Ask'up: formal for younger brother (AHSK-up)**

**Atsk'a: informal for younger brother, can be a term of endearment (AHT-skah)**

**Aahroh: I understand, or very good (aah-ROH)**

**Je: no (ZHEH)**

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><p><em>Butterfly Effect<em>

Chapter 1

"Autobots, return fire!" Optimus thundered, cannons ablaze. What had begun as a simple reconnaissance mission had once more devolved into a brawl. "You know, I think we should just make it a new rule," Ratchet groused as he knelt behind a half destroyed wall and tended to a mesh wound on Bumblebee's leg, "Jack and Arcee aren't allowed to go scouting anymore. They're more danger-prone than _Miko_!" A bi-colored head popped up from a drain grate at their pedes. "I'll have you know that I take offense to that," Miko joked, waving a wrench at the medic. He made a shooing motion and she ducked underground once more with a lively chuckle.

Below the surface of the battleground, Jack, Raf, and Miko crawled through cement tunnels armed with only small flashlights. "Well guys," Jack sighed from the front of the small procession, "At least we haven't had any rain in a while. We could be crawling through sludge!" Behind him, Rafael made a gagging noise. "_Yecch_! Don't remind me!" They passed another junction of pipes and Miko scratched an arrow into the rock with her wrench. "How far to MECH's main lab?" she asked quietly, crouching to rejoin the boys. Raf pushed himself up on his elbows to adjust his glasses. "Should be about another three junctions, then we bear left."

Jack held a hand to his ear, activating the tiny comm devices each human had been given. "Arcee, how are things looking up there?" Above ground, Arcee dodged a blast from a tank and kicked over a jeep to act as a temporary shield. "Give it a couple more minutes, Jack. They're mad, but not mad enough to empty the base." She ducked as a lucky shot hit the fuel tank of the jeep, lighting it on fire. Quickly, the femme transformed and rolled out in reverse, barely escaping the blast. MECH agents swarmed the Autobots, firing their laser rifles repeatedly. "Arcee! What is the strike team's status?" Optimus asked calmly, brushing soldiers aside like ants. "Almost to the objective, Optimus, but they need a safe entry point." Arcee drove up to transform and stand by her leader.

Optimus nodded sharply. "Understood. Take Bumblebee and Ratchet and regroup near the eastern wall. Bulkhead and I will divert and contain the remainder of MECH, then we will join you." Arcee saluted and, after firing a warning shot past a fellow who thought he was a bit braver than his comrades, transformed and retreated. Optimus threw an arm up to shield his optics as MECH began employing flash grenades in an attempt to disorient the Autobots. Bulkhead scattered them with a blow from his wrecking ball and snorted. "You guys might actually like lens flare more than J. !" he chuckled. Catching Optimus's questioning look, he cleared his throat. "I'll, uh, explain later."

In the tunnels, the kids crouched beside a large grate in the wall, peering through the slats. "I count three, maybe five guys," Miko whispered, "Standard fare: face mask, light body armor, and a souped up gun. Too bad we left the Apex Armor with Smokey and Magnus back home!" Optimus Prime's voice suddenly crackled over their individual comms. "I am sending backup to your coordinates. Wait until the area is clear before proceeding to deactivate the device. Under no circumstances are you to engage the enemy. Is that clear?" The three quickly confirmed that they understood and readied themselves to enter the main lab. "From this point on, we don't want MECH knowing what we're up to," Raf cautioned, "I recommend switching to Cybertronian now."

Each human reached back to a chip connected to their comms behind their right ears. It was a technological experiment: a joint project between Ratchet and Unit E to improve stealth. The chip would temporarily reconfigure the wearer's brain patterns and vocal cords to be able to use the Cybertronian language as easily as their native tongue. It never lasted more than a few hours at a time, but so far it had been very useful. The wall buckled and bowed inwards as Arcee, Ratchet and Bumblebee burst through to chase out the remaining agents. "All clear**,**" the medic grunted, waving the strike team through the grate. Jack hopped out and turned to help the others. "**Okay Raf, let's find that time machine before someone does something rash.**"

It wasn't hard to find. Human technology being what it was, it took up an entire wall. Raf darted up to the control panel and began looking for a kill switch. "**We're at the device, commencing shutdown**," he spoke rapidly into his comm as his fingers flew over the keyboard. Miko snatched up a fallen blaster and covered the doors alongside the other Autobots. Outside there was a horrific screeching of distressed metal followed by a low boom. Optimus and Bulkhead entered through the hangar doors shortly thereafter, slight scorched but whole. "MECH?" Ratchet asked. "Contained," Optimus answered shortly.

He and Bulkhead had managed to tear the massive satellite dish from its frame and upend it over the corralled soldiers, trapping them under the dome. The Wrecker whistled. "Look at this hunk of junk! What would a human want to go messing with the laws of time and space for? It ain't natural!" Suddenly a shot echoed through the silo and Raf jumped away from the smoking panel. "**Are you alright, Rafael**?" Optimus asked, concerned. "**I'm alright, T'o't!**" the boy answered with a tight smile. Satisfied, the Autobots returned their attention to the mystery shooter. "You do realize you just sabotaged your own machine, don't you?" Jack called out, a touch of a smirk in his voice.

"It still works!" a voice snapped. It was Gunner, Silas's right-hand man. He peppered the command deck with gunfire, forcing the humans to take cover behind the Autobots as he sprinted towards the door of the machine. "Don't think we haven't heard about these remnants of beasts you're all so eager to collect," he sneered, "Let's see what happens when MECH gets hold of them before you even _know_ they exist!" He slammed the door shut even as Miko opened fire on the machine. "Gunner, to tamper with temporal interactions will only doom your cause further," Optimus warned. "The timeline will reset itself, expelling you as the bloodstream expels foreign bodies. You run the risk of disappearing from existence altogether." But Gunner would not be reasoned with. "Autobots, take cover," the Prime said grimly. He turned to the children. "**Take cover and stay together: tampering with the past will gravely affect the future, for however short a time**."

Ratchet caught a glance at the operation settings on the machine as it began to hum and glow. "The fool!" he cried out, "He's sending himself to the days when the Predacons walked the Earth! He'll be killed by his own species if the Predacons don't get him first!" Ever the doctor, Ratchet searched for a way to extract Gunner from the temporal manipulator. He staggered as the ground beneath his feet seemed to buckle, giving way to mossy stone. Reality rippled as though someone had thrown a stone into a still pool, and the waves moved quickly and forcefully out of the epicenter of the event. Jack and Miko dropped to the ground, shielding Raf with their bodies while Arcee and Bulkhead did the same for them. With each wave, something else disappeared: walls, ceiling, concrete, and eventually the comforting presence of the Autobots vanished as well. There was time only for a panicked shout from Arcee and a fleeting touch of hand to servo-then nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Beri insisted that as the launching of a new story is a "special occasion", I ought to post ****_two_**** chapters, not one. Since I had actually posted the second chapter as a "test screening" in "Mirrors", I decided to go ahead with it.**

**After this, though, I'll probably be posting once a week on Wednesdays.**

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

"Hey, wake up, lazy bones!" Jack groaned and slowly blinked, trying to refocus his eyes. Why was it so _bright_? Someone playfully nudged him with a boot to the side, forcing him upright. Jack looked around, bewildered. He sat beneath a scrubby willow tree on a carpet of green grass that stretched about mile before ending sharply at a forbidding wall of trees. Automatically, he reached for his comm to call the Autobots. His fingers froze in place: the earpiece and chip were gone, and in their place was a hard lump beneath his skin with what felt like burn scars over it. Jack swallowed hard and felt the lump shift with his skin as he did. "Hey, Earth to Jack!" the voice cried again.

Sierra stood before him, red hair tucked into a bun and dressed in a _very_ strange mixture of modern fashion and medieval peasant-garb. He squinted, sure that he had somehow struck his head during the MECH debacle. "...Sierra? ...what are you wearing?" The girl pouted and bent down to lift a heavy-looking wooden bucket. "Don't laugh! My other one got mud on it when the cow kicked me this morning and I had to borrow Beth's spare kirtle." Jack leveled an incredulous stare at the girl. She was kidding, right? This had to be some kind of sick joke.

Or else MECH's temporal manipulator had done more damage than he'd thought.

Looking down, Jack saw that his clothing was different as well. In place of his normal attire, he wore a rough homespun tunic that fell to mid-thigh over a pair of faded jeans and hiking boots. Panic was forestalled when he remembered Optimus's words: "_tampering with the past will gravely affect the future"_. Whatever Gunner had done when he landed, Jack was about to find out how much the present had changed. With a grunt, he stood and stretched until he felt a vertebrae pop. "Have you seen Raf or Miko?" he asked, shading his eyes. Sierra pointed behind him. "They woke up about twenty minutes ago and went back to the city with everyone else. It was really weird, they were acting like they didn't remember _anything_!" In the direction she gestured, Jack saw a huge, rough palisade of sharpened tree trunks surrounding a large group of buildings. Some of them were clearly pieces of ruined skyscrapers, patched with wood and plaster.

"Hurry up, Jack! The barriers go up at sunset!" Sierra tugged at the boy's arm impatiently. "Barriers?" he muttered to himself. He leaned over and took the pail from the girl, sparing a glance at its contents. "Is that yarrow?" he asked, nodding to a small plant resting atop a mess of other herbs and roots. Sierra flushed. "Ye-es..." Her cheeks burned an even deeper scarlet and the words tumbled out in a rush. "I know your mother was running low and I thought if I brought her more, maybe she'd be willing to tell me about the origin of the Four Nations again. I didn't go far into the Forest, only a few feet, I _swear_!" She hung her head as they trudged towards the gate. "_Please_ don't tell anyone I went into the sacred Forest," she begged. Jack was completely at a loss for words.

"I...what? _No_! No, I won't say anything." he assured her. "Just tell me this: why is it such a bad thing to go into the Forest?" A smirk tugged at Sierra's lips. "I knew you wouldn't tell! You always ask that question!" Her voice took on a sing-song quality as she repeated an explanation she'd clearly heard often. "That's where the Raa Anta live: humans are forbidden to travel through their territory without their blessing or permission from the magistrates." The two passed through a tall gate just as a luminescent blue barrier shot up from the ground outside the wall on all sides of the city, forming a dome. "Cutting it a little close, Darby, as always," the guard on duty noted. Jack shrugged with a weak smile. He hefted the bucket higher and hurried to catch up with Sierra. "What's a Raa Anta?" he hissed, unable to contain his curiosity. She whirled about and stared at him as if unsure whether or not he was serious. "That's not funny, Jack," she said flatly, "You could get in huge trouble for talking about them like that!"

Internally, the young man debated with himself whether or not to reveal his ignorance. Until the timeline reset, he would seem like a madman at best. The way Sierra's eyes darted nervously about as she cautioned him to respect these "Raa Anta" beings made him fear that his lack of knowledge could lead to him breaking a taboo or worse. He followed Sierra's lead to a small house near the center of the town, half of a gutted shop at one point, he would have guessed. Like the other buildings, it was cobbled together with scrap metal, wood, and stone, yet somehow radiated hospitality and warmth. The door slid open, surprising Jack. Though it had the appearance of wood, it opened and shut with the hiss of hydraulics. Jack shook his head and slipped through the door. Gunner must have stepped on a _lot_ of butterflies, he concluded.

The interior looked enough like a normal house to comfort him, but there was still a post-apocalyptic scavenger feel to it. His mother knelt in the center of one of the long, low-ceilinged rooms, tending to a small electronic rice cooker. She glanced up and Jack stifled a gasp; when the woman brushed her long hair out of her face, he saw that one of her eyes was a milky white. Scars spiderwebbed out around the blinded eye, ending at the bridge of her nose and the edge of her hairline. "Hi Mom," Jack croaked uncertainly. She stood slowly, shaking out the folds of her grey linen skirt. "The gathering party returned an hour ago," she remarked quietly, "And it is nearly curfew. You are come most carefully upon your hour!" It took Jack several minutes to even realize she had quoted Shakespeare. Luckily, Sierra took his silence as an opportunity to present the herbs to the healer and beg a story of her.

"Not tonight, my dear. It is far too close to curfew, and I don't want you getting ration card demerits on my account," the woman said gently. The girl's face fell. "Tomorrow?" she asked in a barely hopeful tone. June nodded. "Bring more yarrow tomorrow and I will tell you the story again." She shooed the girl put the door and turned to her son. Taking the pail of herbs from him, she gestured to the back of the house. "Time you were in bed, Jack. You've got work in the morning." As she leaned over to kiss him goodnight, she caught sight of the winding scars behind his ear and gasped. "Jackson Darby, _what_ is _that_?!" Jack ran his fingers over the smooth, raised lines again and grimaced. "I don't know, Mom. I woke up under a willow tree and they were there."

Hurriedly, his mother pulled his lengthening hair down to cover the marks. "Keep that hidden!" she snapped. "Don't _tell_ anyone, don't _show_ anyone!" She turned away and pressed her lips firmly together. "Tulle's not taking my baby." She refused to say anymore on the subject, and Jack was left to figure out which room was his on his own. On a bookshelf made up of planks and bricks, he found four battered volumes with notes scribbled in the margins in his own hand. For once, Jack was grateful for all the science fiction movies Raf had made him watch. If he hadn't seen so many time-travel and alternate-reality stories, he would probably be having a mental breakdown right now. Curiosity overtook him as he perused the covers of the books. "_In the Foosteps of our Fathers: the histories of the People of the Lion._ Sounds...interesting, I guess. Hm. _Journeys of Ar_? Okay. _The Hakarmaskannar Cycles._..and... _Beginning Smithing_?" He set the books down and fell back on the ratty pallet that served as a bed. "I've got weird taste."

Morning came sooner than Jack felt it had a right to. All his muscles were still somewhat sore from the crawl through the tunnels and the skirmish at the MECH base, and he rolled stiffly off the mattress with a groan. He'd slept in his clothes, but somehow he didn't think this version of his mother would fault him for it. She was in the low room from the night before, packing some dried fruits and meats into a small bag. "Here, Jack," she pressed it into his hand. "Sierra is probably waiting for you at the gates again-you're late." The steady, even tone of her voice did not change even once as she pulled an itchy woolen hat down around his ears. "Don't take this off unless your hair covers that mark. Law be hanged: they can't have you!" Jack stared uncomfortably at the woman, but no further explanation was forthcoming. He kissed June's cheek and slipped out the door, squinting in the early morning light.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, everyone! Aspen here, with the weekly story update! **

**As can be surmised, I do not own Transformers. But if I could buy stock in them, I totally would. Do you think that would count as a loophole? :D**

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

As Jack retraced his steps to the wall-gate he'd come in through the night before, it struck him that whatever strange community had formed here looked to be split starkly between those with technology and those with little more than farming implements. Posted on the walls of many huts and houses were pieces of parchment with bright red ink upon them. Jack stepped closer to examine them. They appeared to be a list of new laws that had been passed by someone called Magistrate Tulle. The boy frowned as he read them.

_1. Curfew begins at sunset, not twilight. All those found out after curfew shall receive one demerit upon their ration card. Repeat offenders will be publicly shamed._

_2. One-third of all produce, product, or trade goods are to be given to the magistrates as tax. Failure to comply will result in temporary nullification of your ration card._

_3. Children are not allowed on the walltops or within the tower buildings unless they are working. Two demerits for every violation._

_4. Anyone found entering or intending to enter the sacred Forest is guilty of both trespassing and irreverence, and will be punished accordingly: intenders will be put in the stocks. Trespassers will be exiled and set among the moors._

_5. Do not speak of the Raa Anta. They do not offer their gracious protection so that we might ungraciously offend them. Anyone found speaking carelessly of them will be flogged and exiled._

"Great," Jack muttered, "Gunner plays with fire and we get a freaky dystopia or something."

Muttering under his breath, he stalked towards the gate, where Sierra was indeed waiting for him. "Hi Jack! I'm just going to the blackberry thickets today," there was something off about her words, a twitch of her eyelid and a slight quiver when she glanced at the guard. Jack surmised that she intended to look for yarrow in the Forest again and wished to convince the sentry otherwise. "Right," he forced a cheerful tone into his voice as he gestured to the field outside. "You lead, I'll follow." There, a gentlemanly enough excuse for having no idea where the blackberry thickets were. Luckily, they were not far from the willow tree where he'd awoken. By the size of the berries, Jack guessed it to be some time in mid May at least. The pair stained and scratched their hands pulling the tart, plump berries from their vines. "Ouch!" Jack shook his hand. "Watch it: those berries are contaminated now. They've got my blood all over them." Sierra gagged. "That's my lunch!" she said sarcastically. Holding up one of the pieces of fruit stained with Jack's blood, the girl tilted her head and said, "If we cloned DNA from this, would it he human or a plant mutant?" Jack eased over a step, putting some distance between them. He'd forgotten how random Sierra Cody could be. Sierra straightened her back with a groan after several minutes, leaving a purple stain on her forehead as she wiped it. "I miss the stars," she said, as if that had been the topic of conversation. "Dad and I used to sit on the roof and watch them every night until Tulle decided she was going to move curfew."

"Yeah," her companion bluffed awkwardly, "What's her problem, anyway?" Sierra scowled and began to throw blackberries into the pail hard enough to make them splatter. "I _know_! She's a total control freak! I hear that she used to be a halfway decent politician, you know." She covered the bucket with a cloth lid and picked up a second one, motioning to the edge of the trees silently. "Really?" Jack feigned interest, following behind her and checking to ensure that no one saw them. "Makes you wonder what happened, doesn't it?" the girl called over her shoulder. Jack shook his head. "I imagine she allowed power to corrupt her ideals. Sad, but not unheard of." The cheery buzz of the cicadas and the chirp of the birds seemed to hush momentarily as they crept under the heavy boughs. All was lit in a verdant hue and branches bent to form archways and alcoves like a vast, living cathedral. "_Wow_," the teens breathed together.

The natural stillness seemed to weigh on Sierra, making her jump at every pair of flapping wings or snapping twig. "There," she pointed to a collection of stumps in a ring. "That's where I found the yarrow last time." Jack glanced over at her and noted the tense way she carried herself. "Why don't you go back and pick up any other herbs my mom might need?" Relief flooded her eyes at the suggestion and she quickly retreated. Jack moved forward carefully, trying not to disturb even a single stone. Raf was so much better at moving quietly! The yarrow grew thick around one of the stumps, a wide, flat-topped piece of wood taller than Jack.

To his surprise, a different kind of plant grew around each of the eight stumps. Yarrow, Camellia, yellow Carnation, Delphinium, Freesia, Gladiolus, Jasmine, and a single Calla Lily. Jack was no gardner by any stretch of the imagination, but even he was fairly certain that these plants were not meant to grow all together at the same time. "Gunner, what'd you do? Mess with _all_ of nature?" he grumbled under his breath, reaching for the small green herbs. Something moved in the Forest behind him and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. For just a fleeting moment, he thought he heard a voice on the wind, whispering, "_Have you remembered yet?_" Jack stood quickly, eyes darting back and forth between the trees, even up into the branches. One encounter with Airachnid and you never forgot to check the branches. He hoped the yarrow he had was enough and slowly backed out of the ring. Miko would have said it was a fairy ring or some such absurdity. All the same... "Your pardon," he gulped, hoping he didn't look as foolish as he felt, "Didn't mean to disturb your ring. I'll, uh, I'm just gonna...go."

He found Sierra at the western end of the field, ankle-deep in a small creek. "Here!" she shouted, tossing a handful of soggy bank moss at him with a giggle. "Gross!" he laughed, peeling it off of his shirt and depositing it-and the yarrow-into the pail. "Yeah," Sierra agreed, pulling up more, "but it works as bandage padding in a pinch!" She raised her eyebrows in a silent question and Jack nodded to the bucket. "Thanks," she whispered. "I didn't want to go in again. I thought they'd catch me. Does that make me a coward?" Jack crouched on the bank and tilted his head to the side. "No. It's not necessarily courage to go looking for trouble." He reached down to help the girl out of the water. She smiled a little. "Courage. The People of the Lion used to be known for it." The smile turned sharp and bitter as Sierra turned her eyes to the palisade. "Now our motto may as well be '_bravery in small doses, and only when Tulle's back is turned'_."

They sat on the creek bank for much of the afternoon, with Jack subtly extracting information from the girl about the kind of culture he'd landed in. It occurred to him that he might have some sort of work besides helping Sierra to do, but he couldn't quite bring himself to leave the sunny spot yet. Sierra did most of the talking until the sun began to go down, chattering about her family and their tiny plot of land and her ambition to play the role of F'ar the Huntress onstage someday. He offered her a hand up and they made their way back through the swishing grass to the gate, then through the town to the Darby house. It looked even stranger in the dim light of sunset than it had at dusk. June was thrilled with the collection of herbs presented to her and agreed to tell Sierra a story.

"The same tale as usual, I suppose?" June asked with a smile. She directed Jack to put the herbs away in a series of small boxes lining the wall. It was a painstaking business, as he was left to guess by shape and scent what went where. As he attempted the task, he listened intently to his mother's story, hoping it would give him some idea of the way the world worked beyond the walls of Jasper. "Long ago," the woman began softly from the wide orange cushion where she sat, "humans were as numerous as the sands of the seashore, and lived on every continent of the globe-there were _seven_ continents back then, not _five_. When my great-grandmother was a little girl, great storms and quakes began to shake the world, and many people died. That's when They came." Jack stopped even pretending to organize herbs when he heard his mother's oddly reverent whisper. Having flipped through some of the books in his room, he had a hunch as to where this was going, and he was not entirely comfortable with it.

"From the stars came mighty beings of unimaginable power, and they took pity on the remnants of human civilization. The people divided themselves into four tribes to follow the separate strata of the Anta: for example, the People of the Wolf-" Here Sierra nodded and shuddered. "The wild ones in the jungles. They scare me." she said with a faraway look. June continued. "They were claimed by the _Draug_ Anta-a kind of demi-Anta-who gathered their human followers and taught them to live off the land with animals. They are wild and unpredictable, but love all life. Very rarely do they leave the jungles and forests." Jack came to sit on another pillow beside Sierra, interested. "And what of the other three peoples?" he asked, hoping he wasn't expected to know the answer. "Those who cared only for power and might were gladly taken in by the _Thoron_ Anta and became the People of the Falcon." Contempt colored the woman's tone and her hand rose of its own accord to trace the scars around her eye. "Since their formation they have been the bitter rivals of the People of the Lion. Every day their Raptor packs grow bolder, raiding their way across the continents."

Jack found himself comparing them to Decepticons and jolted when he realized that his newly subcutaneous translator chip was registering the names in Cybertronian! He didn't have the first clue regarding the ones June had called "the wolf face", but he was willing to bet that the "falcon face" referred to the Decepticon badge. Then were the Anta Cybertronians? That gave him some hope, at least, of finding Arcee and the others. Sierra leaned forward eagerly and rested her chin on her fists. "And far and away, up in the mountains," she prompted. Mrs. Darby smiled. "Far and away, up in the mountains, the mysterious People of the Dragon live. They reverence the _Hakarmaskannar_ Anta, who are even more mysterious than they. They do not interact with the rest of the world unless provoked by some injury, and then their wrath is swift and terrible, utterly implacable. They do not forgive and they do not forget." Outside, a long chime as from a huge silver bell sounded. "First warning for curfew," Sierra sighed, "Just when we were getting to the best part!"

"The _Raa_ Anta?" Jack guessed. With a glowing smile, his mother bobbed her head. "They found those willing to follow them, to emulate them, and brought them through the Forest to this clearing, where they built the city of Jasper. Ar, the king of all Anta, bid the humans be at peace with them, to walk and talk among them. And so we used to do: they taught us to use technology we'd never dreamed of, prevented us from falling into total anarchy. Time was, one or two humans would go to live among them, if they bore their Mark. Though that has not happened for a long time, as there have been no true Speakers. Still, they do not let enemies approach us, and we honor them in return, for we are the People of the Lion." Her one good eye glinted proudly as she threw back her head, revealing a medallion secured to her throat by a red ribbon. Straight lines, squarish in shape and made of some kind of metal, the charm made Jack's breath catch in his throat. He had seen the symbol before, many times.

It was the Autobot badge.


	4. Chapter 4

**And here we are once again with the weekly update! Thank you all for the reviews, they're very encouraging! I welcome constructive criticism: I'd like to know what I'm doing right and what I could be doing better. **

**Mondays don't have to be terrible! Here, have a chapter of bizarre story. Like before, bold print= Cybertronian words**

**(chapter soundtrack: "Captain Shakespeare" from Stardust)**

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><p>Chapter 4<p>

The boy rose before dawn and slung an old rifle over his back. Five days had passed and still the natural timeline had not reasserted itself. Within the palisade at the edge of the woods, life went on as it "always" had. That is to say, the People of the Lion worked together to survive through a very unusual mixture of agriculture, futuristic technology, and hunting/gathering. At sixteen, Jack was considered old enough to work with the adults, and found that in this temporary universe, he was evidently apprenticed to a rough, unpleasant man aptly named Granite, who was supposed to repair weapons. What he actually did was drink, curse, and sleep. He told the boy (often, and loudly) that he didn't particularly care whether Jack showed up to work or not, so long as he didn't disturb him. While this presented a perfect opportunity to search for a way out with Miko and Raf, Jack's conscience would not allow him to leave without taking something along to repair on the way.

It hadn't been until the third day that Jack had found his friends. Rafael's family lived in the poorer, agricultural part of town where his brothers worked the fields. Miko still lived with her host parents, only they acted as if she were actually their daughter. Being considerably more affluent, they lived in a house that had not been made of salvaged materials. The third day had also been Jack's first experience with "Tulle". She was a thin, pinched woman possessed of a magpie's shrill, warbling voice and a penchant for condescension. When Jack encountered her, she was standing in the marketplace with a clipboard and pen, brown curls piled outrageously into a hairstyle that should have gone out with the 1970s. Like some miniature female Starscream, Tulle raged because a shopkeeper would not refer to her by her preferred title.

"That's your third demerit this week, Frederica. You're already on the watch list for improper disposal of leftover goods. With a baby to feed, can you _really_ afford another?" With an amiable smile and a steely eye, the woman answered her tormentor, "Well as long as we're on first name terms, Adelaide, I would remind you that-by the standard of the Jasper Charter- what you are doing is called illegal harassment, and I have the right to report you if I wish." Jack grinned at the woman's boldness. Miko would like her, he was sure. Report me to whom?" Tulle cooed, "Even if there were anyone over me, why should they believe someone of your...economic standing?" The barely-veiled insults flew and were calmly deflected with dizzying speed until at last Tulle withdrew. With an ugly smile, she marked Frederica's ration card with six demerits, "accidentally" kicked over a display, and flounced into a tiny, waiting car. Jack shook his head and made his way over to help clean up. "That was impressive," he said by way of greeting. The round woman chuckled dryly and easily lifted the shelf. "Me, or Addie's temper tantrum?"

"Both, I guess," he smiled back. "How does she still hold any power at all?" Frederica rolled dark eyes expressively. "God only knows, hon, and I just pray He knocks some sense into that woman before I do." With the display set to rights again, Jack stood and brushed himself off. "Aren't you worried about the demerits?" The shopkeeper snorted and waved a hand as if shooing the thought away. "The council of magistrates will overturn her decision. They almost always do! And even if they don't, The Lord will provide." She thanked Jack for helping her and slipped something into his hand. "For having such a kind heart," she beamed. Three amber beads lay in his palm like the heart of a tree. When he looked up at Frederica, the woman leaned forward and whispered, "_If ever you get in trouble with Addie-which probably means you were doing the right thing-take these to the meat market and look for the sign of the Fish. They'll help you._" Surprised, Jack had thanked Frederica and continued on to find his friends.

The fourth day had passed without incident, save for Miko showing up at the weapons forge, fuming about overbearing politicians. She'd woken Granite, who had loudly cursed her out...only to be cowed into silence by an equally blistering tirade. Jack had waited outside until the shrieking stopped, dismayed that his translator chip was cheerfully explaining every insult Miko was hurling. Evidently, the girl had been climbing a tree, trying to see over the palisade, and Tulle not only gave her a demerit, but made her stay up in the tree for two hours with her guards beneath it to keep her from coming down. It had crossed Jack's mind at the time that Adelaide Tulle was _remarkably_ lucky that they hadn't found Bullhead yet. They'd met Raf in the fields afterwards, and as they helped him pull up weeds, Jack had told them of his foray into the Forest. They'd heard a few more rumors than he had regarding the place with the circle of stumps, which was surmised to be a kind of meeting-place for the Raa Anta.

Now, on the fifth day, he found Raf in their designated meeting place: a ruined statue of some poet or other, surrounded by the wild remains of a hedge maze. "Any word from the 'Bots?" Jack whispered, dropping down into a small hollow beside the younger boy. Raf shook his head despondently. He waved his hand gently over a bulky leather gauntlet strapped to his left arm, activating a tiny computer display. "Pilar smuggled this to me from the Echelon building," he muttered conspiratorially. He referred to the old skyscraper that had been modified into a partial castle on the western edge of town, where some of the elder Esquivels worked. It was the dwelling place of the magistrates, most of whom were good, honest people. Their supervisor, unfortunately, was a different story. As they had already learned, Adelaide Tulle was a petty, vicious woman who would have been more at home with the Raptor packs of the Falcon People than with the quiet, honorable governors of the Lion People. The tyrannical and oft times simply silly laws Jack had seen had been instituted by Tulle against the wishes of her subordinates.

Jack tore his gaze from the Echelon building where Magistrate Tulle lurked as a cascade of pebbles on the hillside warned them of someone's approach. "Contact at two o'clock," he murmured, pointing with two fingers. Raf squinted at his tiny screen and relaxed a fraction. "It's Miko's signal," he replied. His fingers traced the patch behind his ear where the translator chip had once been. According to Rafael's analysis, in adaption to the altered timeline, the hardware was now beneath the skin, marked by scars in the shape of Cybertronian glyphs. Upon receiving his piece of stolen technology, it had been the work of a moment for Raf to synchronize the gauntlet to the chips' individual frequencies. Black boots suddenly dangled above their heads as Miko slid down to join them. "Stupid old-fashioned rules. Stupid semi-dark ages!" she snarled without preamble.

Miko yanked a knit cap off of her head, shaking her wild hair free. "My "adopted" mother doesn't hold with "unnaturally colored hair", and made me cover it again," she explained, tying the pink and black mess into her customary style. "I swear, if I hear about "the way proper ladies behave" one more time, I'm gonna pull a Predaking." Raf and Jack grimaced. "Ah **je**, **K'anis**, please don't!" Jack laughed, "You'd blow our cover!" Miko lightly punched his shoulder and huddled down between the boys. "Almost a week in this Warcraft wannabe and the timestream hasn't fixed itself yet," she huffed, leaning her head back against the hedge. She sighed deeply and pulled her knees to her chest. She could live with the weird clothes, survive the ridiculously strict magistrates, tolerate the bizarre superstitions about the Autobots. What she found she could not live with was the aching emptiness she felt in the pit of her stomach every time she saw the Autobot symbol. Since the day she had spotted Jack and Arcee in the alleyway, this was the longest she'd ever been separate from them.

Slender fingers twisted into the fabric of her dark kirtle and tightened. "I want to go _home_." she whispered fiercely, laying her head upon her knees. Raf curled up against her side in sympathy and Jack wrapped his arms as far as he could around the pair of them. "It's going to be okay, guys," he soothed, "It hasn't even been a week yet. I've been getting stories out of Sierra and my mom, and I think our best course of action is to go looking for these _Raa Anta_, and see whether they're our 'Bots. We'll have to find a way out to the woods without the watchmen noticing. It's doable, but difficult." He blew out a breath and released his hold on the others to run a hand over his face. All was quiet for several minutes, until the silence was broken by the sound of a gong being struck in the square.

"Ah, _what_ is that _racket_? I don't know what all their signals mean!" For such a young boy, Rafael sounded very like an old man as he sat up and stretched. He scrunched up his nose as the gong resounded again. Miko grasped hold of Jack's shoulder and used it to hoist herself to her feet. "It sounds like a General Assembly call," she grumbled, jamming her hair back under the coif in jerking, angry gestures. "Madame Umbridge must have thought of another rule." Jack smirked at the very accurate comparison to Magistrate Tulle and struggled to his feet. In only four days, Miko had managed to run completely and totally afoul of Tulle. Not that anyone was surprised: the woman was obsessed with control and order and Miko was chaos itself! Her hair color, her loudness, and her complete refusal to be intimidated made her a force to be reckoned with in Tulle's books.

Reluctantly, the three left their hiding place and hiked into the town square to join the throng. Surprisingly, it was Magistrate Xiaojian, not Magistrate Tulle, who stood at the podium. The gentle old man held up his hands for silence, smiling benignly at the crowd. "Good afternoon, my friends! I know you're all very busy, but this is quite important!" Xiaojian motioned to the sky. "Tonight, as I'm sure you all know, is a full moon. Now we're all aware of what happens when the moon is full, aren't we? That's right, the shields fail." With an apologetic sigh, the magistrate shuffled across the platform and began handing sheafs of papers into the masses to be passed along. "Magistrate Supervisor Tulle has demanded an earlier curfew on full-moon-nights, as well as a doubled guard. In light of recent and coming events, the others and I have reluctantly agreed." Amidst angry mutterings, Frederica shouted out from the back of the crowd, "What "recent and coming events" do you mean, Magistrate Xiaojian?"

The wrinkled brow puckered. "I'm _not_ going to lie to you all," he said firmly, "Nomadic groups of Falcon People have been spotted making their way towards the Forest. They may well reach us, because tonight of all nights is the one time the Raa Anta may be too busy to busy to stop them." Miko and Jack exchanged glances. "Could these people be any _more_ vague?" the girl mused sourly. A tugging at their hands brought their eyes down to meet Raf's. "I know what he means," the small boy whispered, "I heard Mama talking about it earlier!" For the last two years in the city, during every full moon when the barrier fell, two or three of the Raa Anta would stalk the streets. They rarely ever spoke more than two words to those who saw them, and only came at night. They acted as though they were searching for something or someone, but the People of the Lion were afraid to ask who. They would hunt until they had made their way through the entire city, then vanish into the Forest once more. The howling of some vast wolf could sometimes be heard after this.

"Oh yes, and one more thing," Magistrate Xiaojian looked supremely apologetic as he wrung his hands, "As it would seem that _certain_ people have been treating curfew as a suggestion rather than a law, Tulle would like all public meetings to end with a review of what we can and cannot do here in Jasper. Good neighbors make strong defenses, so we must all rely upon each other: if you see someone breaking a rule, talk to them about it before you go to the security forces! Curfew is _two_ minutes after the gong, not _ten,_ and entering the Forest is forbidden. Due to whichever practical jokers thought it would be funny to draw Magistrate Tulle's head on a Thoron Anta's body, we are no longer allowed to use the art hall until the perpetrators confess. So _thank_ you for that, whoever you are." He beetled his brow and glared comically into the eyes of the younger crowd members. "And remember, anyone with a mark behind their ear is to be brought to the magistrates at once!" Self-consciously, Jack, Miko, and Raf tugged their hair and hats down to cover the glyphs that marked the position of their translator chips. Somehow, they knew that boded ill for them!

After the halfhearted repetition of Magistrate Tulle's laws, Xiaojian dismissed the assembly and hobbled back to his waiting van. Slowly, the streets cleared, leaving the trio of children in the square. "With the shield down, Jasper is vulnerable," Miko observed, "And these guys seem pretty predictable. I'm betting everybody for miles knows about the moon-thing!" Jack flopped onto a bench to work on the rifle he still had from the forge. "If the Raa Anta actually come to the city, that makes our lives easier. It shouldn't take long to figure out if they're our Autobots or not." He turned to Raf, tapping his chin. "Raf, once they're past the borders, they'd pick up our comm signals, right?" The young genius held up his gauntlet and typed several commands into it. "If we're operating on the assumption that the walls interfere with the signal, then yes. This should work." Jack nodded decisively. "Alright, do you want to meet in the usual place tonight?"

Miko ducked behind Jack for a moment as the people who had apparently adopted her in this timeline approached. "Scrap." she muttered. The Leander family made their way towards the trio, making it quite clear that they'd spotted Miko. Raf adjusted his glasses and hid his stolen gauntlet behind his back. "I should go," he gulped awkwardly, "I'm supposed to help my brothers in the fields later." Taking one last look at the dignified shock on Mrs. Leander's face at her adopted daughter's chosen company, Raf tiptoed to whisper, "**Courage, Nene'**," into Miko's ear. With that, the boy scampered off. Whether or not he actually knew where he was going was debatable at best. Seeing that her hiding place was futile, the girl heaved a gusty sigh and stood, brushing off her skirt. "Catch ya later, **Y'ats'a**," she grumbled, "That is, if I live to tonight." Jack winced and patted her arm. "You know where to find me if you need me?" "Healer's house: only one on your street with electricity. Yeah, I know where to go," Miko punched his shoulder and allowed herself to be dragged away by the Leanders.


	5. Chapter 5

**Welcome back, and happy Monday to you all! In response to some guest reviews, don't worry, you'll see the others soon enough. I just have to finish setting up all the characters first. **

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><p>Chapter 5<p>

For such a prim and proper woman, Mrs. Leander was doing a _remarkable_ impression of an enraged chicken as she strutted about the living room in quick, sharp movements, squawking about Miko's evident lack of good judgment. "Mikoto, you are a thoughtless girl! Why, you haven't a care for my poor nerves at all! Do you have any idea what a nasty turn you gave me when I saw you with those awful, rough boys?" she turned to her husband. "Tell her, Mr. Leander!" The lethargic man looked up from his book. "Eh? Oh yes. Frightful. Completely beneath you or some such nonsense." Satisfied that her husband was on her side, Mrs. Leander twirled back to berate Miko for even giving the time of day to two young men, unaccompanied. Behind her back, Mr. Leander winked at Miko and mouthed, _She's just jealous._

Miko flopped across the couch and attempted to tune the woman out. Lydia and Kate, the Leanders' biological daughters, shot her sympathetic looks and returned to their weaving. The Leander family had done well for themselves by making cloths that couldn't be found elsewhere. Miko had been meant to help her sisters with the looms that morning, making up the bulk of Mrs. Leander's irritation with her. Eventually the woman ran out of steam and swished out of the room in a bustle of skirts to bemoan the fate of "a poor woman with hard-hearted children". Lydia, sweet and sensible, moved the shuttle with hardly a sound and tsked. "I do believe Mama's mistaken life for an Austen novel again," she said calmly. "She _really_ must stop listening to those audio files."

"Well!" Kate interrupted loudly, "If that's how she reacted when Miko found a man, _I'll_ have to keep all _my_ sweethearts a secret!" Mr. Leander scoffed and patted Miko's head affectionately. "Miko? Found a man? Don't be ridiculous, Katie. There's not a boy among all the People of the Lion equal to our Miko." Still chuckling over the idea, the man took his leave of them. Sitting up a little straighter, Lydia called to her sisters, "Someone pass me the red wool, please." Miko stretched backward over the couch to reach the neatly piled skeins and snatched the red. "Whatcha using it for?" She leaned over the older girl's shoulder to see the makings of a tapestry depicting battle between what were clearly Cybertronians. One with evil red eyes brandished a twisted black blade against a noble figure wielding what appeared to be a fallen star. Crimson streams ran from their armor to the ground.

"It should be finished by the time of the Remembering Festival," Lydia's eyes glowed with pride. "It's supposed to be Ar's battle with the evil Kerythcor." Miko raised an eyebrow and stared critically at the picture. "Actually, their blood is blue." She squeaked and clapped her hands over her mouth at the slip. Kate and Lydia stared at her, open-mouthed. "H-how would you know something like that?!" Kate gasped. Miko squirmed under their scrutiny. "Umm... I've...seen it?" Kate nearly knocked over her loom as she scrambled over to sit next to Miko. "Tell meee!" she squealed, "You are _officially_ the luckiest person alive!" Lydia looked worried. "When could _you_ have possibly seen an Anta?" she demanded, "You didn't go into the Forest, did you? If Tulle found out, she could have you tried for...well, whatever she's calling it these days. Irreverence, I think."

"I didn't go in the Forest!" Miko protested, "As far as I know, I've _never_ been in the Forest!" Beside her, Kate grabbed her hands and stared intently at her. "Who did you see? Was it F'ar, the huntress? Mighty Ar, king of the Anta? Probably wasn't Fallaner, right? The last Speakers said that Fallaner never shows himself anymore. I kind of hope it was Iirt, since he's the guardian of youth. Was it Andram? Andram was always your patron Anta." Miko blinked. "Okay, whoa. Slow down for like, two seconds and let me think. I _totally_ wasn't supposed to let anyone know I knew anything about them, like, ever. Still, I guess when the timeline resets, you guys won't remember this, so there's no real harm done." All went silent as Lydia's hands stilled at the loom. Her face was pale and drawn. For two generations, laws had slowly been put in place to keep the humans separate from the Anta, for fear that some rash soul might offend them and cause them to revoke their blessing and protection. Only Speakers were allowed to see the giants, and there had been no true Speakers for two years.

Magistrate Tulle claimed to be a Speaker, naturally, but no one believed her. Speakers reflected the nature of those whose language they spoke, and the People of the Lion simply could not believe that the Raa Anta were anything like Adelaide Tulle. Now Lydia's sister sat here making the outrageous claim that not only had she seen their uncanny protectors, but that she had seen them bleed! "Miko, you can't say things like this, you'll get us all into trouble!" Lydia pleaded, glancing nervously about. The younger girl rolled her dark eyes. "Get a grip, Lydia. And stop cringing! They're not gods." The eldest sister flushed and wound her fingers through the wool. "Well I _know_, but with the way the magistrates speak about them, one might assume..." She sighed and turned back to her weaving, determined to change the subject before Miko said anything else unsettling. "Katie, who was that boy I saw you exchanging addresses with yesterday?" Kate all but crowed as she told them about the handsome hunter from the East Quarter she had met. It was the perfect opportunity for Miko to slip out unnoticed.

The streets of the West Quarter were quiet. Most of the work on this side of town was done indoors with whatever technology they possessed. Miko found herself wandering up the staircase that had been built into the side of the Echelon castle. Here at the western edge of Jasper, it was the one part of the wall made of stone, rather than wood. Miko leaned out over the parapet and closed her eyes, soaking up the sunlight. The noise of the city faded into a steady drone, slowly but surely overwhelmed by the sounds of nature. The snap of a branch in the Forest, though several yards away, was as loud as if it had broken next to Miko. A gentle cadence of thumps echoed across the field as a small herd of deer idly grazed. Suddenly, the light faded and the air grew chill as a cloud covered the sun. The crackling of branches caught Miko's attention, and she opened her eyes in time to see a murder of crows take to the sky with a rushing of wings. Shrieking and cawing, they loudly scolded whatever had disturbed their rest from a safe distance. Something was out there.

The girl stared intently into the trees, holding her breath. When the hand fell upon her shoulder, she reacted purely out of instinct. Miko windmilled one arm out and down, trapping the arms of the other person as she pivoted on her heel, poised to deliver a powerful blow to the stomach. "Whoa! Easy there!" the guard squawked, now very sorry indeed that he had not announced his presence before. Miko freed the man's arm, and smiled. "Sorry, Fowler," she inclined her head slightly. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that, it's a good way to get hurt!" It was indeed Fowler, albeit with a scruffy beard and somewhat less of a paunch. He patted her shoulder and leaned against the walls. "That's _Sentinel_ Fowler to you, young lady. And I apologize for scaring you. I just came to remind you that kids aren't allowed on the walltops. You could fall, you know." Miko smirked and hoisted herself up to sit on the warm stone, prompting a horrified gasp from the guard. "Believe me, I'm not afraid of heights!" Miko laughed.

Fowler smiled weakly, then turned his gaze to the trees. "Full moon tonight," he remarked. Miko scowled and nodded. "If the shields go down, d'you think any of the other People will take advantage of our vulnerability?" she asked, peering out at the long stretch of the palisades. "Yes I do. That's why we're doubling the guard, Miss Leander," he answered. His eyes narrowed as he stared down at the very edge of the trees. "Call me crazy," he muttered, "but I got a feeling in my bones that something's coming. Something big." With that, the guard shouldered his rifle and left Miko to her thoughts. "The stone is good," she thought aloud, remembering some lecture Bulkhead had given her when she was bored out of her mind, "It'll probably hold up under everything save explosions. The palisades...not so much. If Falcons attack tonight, that's where they'll hit." She nodded to herself and decided it couldn't hurt to see whether the Leanders kept any weapons about.

She hopped down the stairs and rounded the corner a little too quickly, almost running into another person. The older woman drew back as if afraid she might catch a disease from the girl. She wrinkled her long nose and sniffed in disgust. "Well I _do_ hope you weren't just up on the wall, Miss Leander," Magistrate Tulle sneered, "Children are not allowed on the wall-but of course, you know that, don't you? Which means you were _choosing_ to disobey." There was a look of spiteful glee in her round eyes as she purred, "That's another demerit on your ration card, Mikoto. Five more and you won't be eating this week." Miko raised one delicate eyebrow in an expression that broadcasted just how little she was threatened by the magistrate's posturing. "That's cute, Umbridge," she patted the woman on the head as she passed. "Some of us have work to do right now." Adelaide Tulle absolutely fumed as the girl strode jauntily away, arms swinging like a lumberjack. Her position was in jeopardy, she just knew it!

As of five days ago, the middle Leander girl had suddenly begun challenging her authority on nearly every point, even going so far as to declare that there were certainly others who understood the Raa Anta better than she. Of course there were! Why else would she make it a law that all Speakers or potential Speakers were to be turned over to her? She couldn't risk someone _actually_ communicating with the giants after she'd worked so hard to create a fear and reverence in the humans they supposedly watched over. What if someone else began following Miko's example and challenged her? Her normal punishments simply did not effect the girl: she merely laughed them off with a combined look of pity and condescension.

Something would have to be done about Mikoto Nakadai Leander, and soon.


	6. Chapter 6

H**appy Saint Patrick's Day, everyone! Hey, if you have time, I suggest looking up the animated short about St. Patrick from "The Sumo of the Opera". It's a cute way of retelling the story.**

**Anyway, welcome to this week's chapter!**

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><p>Chapter 6<p>

Rafael sat on the overturned wheelbarrow and breathed in deeply, filling his lungs with the smell of tilled earth. Although his mother and sisters worked as secretaries and errand-runners in the Echelon building, Raf's father and elder brothers tended the fields in the south part of town: the agricultural quarter. Technically, he and Pilar were too young to have full jobs, like the adults. Pilar sometimes tagged along to the Echelon building to help clean offices-that was how she'd come across the gauntlet she'd smuggled to her little brother-but today she sat next to Raf on the barrow, tossing pebbles at crows. "It's not fair!" she whined, beaning an unfortunate corvid on the head with a fair-sized rock. "_What's_ not fair? That you have to sit out here with us instead of in the Echelon building?" Raf mumbled, halfheartedly throwing a stone. He didn't really want to hurt the birds. They were just trying to eat, he reasoned. Pilar elbowed him sharply.

"No, it's not fair that Tulle shut down the art hall just because she didn't like someone's drawing! If she didn't want cartoons made of her, she shoulda stayed out of politics. And besides, she's the supervisor of the _magistrates_, not the _crafters' guild_! She has no right to open or close the art hall." With an aggravated huff, the fourteen year old lobbed her pebble with a bit more force than necessary. It bounced off the handle of the plow with a clack. "Hey hey! Cuidado, mihija, me veo como un pájaro a usted?" the man behind it shouted, playfully shaking his fist at his youngest children. Pilar laughed. "Sorry, Papa!" Raf cupped his hands around his mouth, "Yeah, sorry she _missed_! She was aiming for your _head_!" Pilar squeaked in outrage and pushed her cackling little brother off the wheelbarrow and into a pile of sacks of seed. Well, at least some things never changed.

By the time the light began to dim and the foraging parties returned from the field outside the fence again, the Esquivels had finished planting. Miguel ran to fetch their scarecrow, a truly unpleasant thing that made Raf's skin crawl. It bore an unfortunate resemblance to Slender Man, and that alone was enough to make the birds avoid it. Miguel set it in the middle of the field, then turned to his father and siblings. "¡Vamos!" he called, "It'll be dark soon!" At a quick, but not rushed, pace, they made their way to a wide house not too far away. Mama and Alicia and Marcela were already home, as everyone but field hands got off of work early on full-moon-nights. It was a sparsely furnished place, and the children slept in hammocks which were kept in the closet during the day, but Raf didn't mind. He wasn't sure how he'd ended up with an extra brother and sister in the fouling of the timestream, but at least Mama had more hands to help her. Dinner was simple: rice and vegetables, but everything they ate they'd grown themselves. "The magistrates can't touch this lot with their stupid ration cards," Beto boasted, waving a piece of celery like a conductor's baton.

His mother snatched the vegetable from him with a disapproving look. "Don't play with your food, mihijo." She dropped the celery on Juan's plate. "Tomorrow, take the surplus down to the shop and man the counters." On weekends, the Esquivels sold produce in a little stand in the northern district. It was suspected (but never said aloud) that they secretly gave food to those whose ration cards had been filled with demerits by Tulle. Talk of farming and judicial issues peppered the conversation until the gongs rang for curfew. Mr. Esquivel stood quietly and dimmed the lamp over the table. Raf sighed. He knew the nightly routine by now, but that didn't mean he was comfortable with it. He pushed back his chair and slowly followed his family to a back room.

A wooden chest was taken from beneath his parents' bed and from it, they took an Autobot insignia. Mrs. Esquivel passed it from person to person, with each voicing a hope or wish. "Perhaps we'll have meet this winter if the Draug are kind," she said. "Perhaps Ar will slay Kerythcor once and for all, and we won't have to worry about Raptor packs anymore," Marcela sighed. Raf cringed as his turn neared. It was almost like they were praying to the "Raa Anta", and even though Pilar had told him it was "just for luck", he could not bring himself to copy them. As he had done the previous nights, he hurriedly passed the carving to his brother and ignored the startled stares. At last, the wooden chest was put away, and all the siblings climbed into their hammocks. Raf waited with eyes shut, feigning sleep, until all lights were out. Then, furtively, he listened for the deep breaths that meant his siblings slept, and rolled out of the hammock.

Bare feet hit the woven rug with hardly a sound as the boy tucked himself into a stealthy crouch. When no one moved, he let out the breath he'd been holding and grabbed the tattered mocassins near the door. One last glance over his shoulder, one last-minute decision to take his brother's hunting knife from its place on the mantel, and he was off into the night. It was Rafael's first time out at night in the five days he'd been in the Other Jasper, as he called it. Distantly, he could see lights bobbing about on the walls as the doubled guard watched for Raptor packs or Raa Anta. '_Now if I was in charge of this place,_' the little one said to himself, '_I'd have a patrol or two going about to make sure no one was on the streets past curfew. We'll just have to watch for that, won't we?' _

The Southern Quarter was silent, save for the bark of a stray dog, proclaiming his rule over the wide walkways as Raf made his way from shadow to shadow. Twelve years of being the youngest and one year fighting Decepticons had taught him how to move unseen. Ratchet had more than once bemoaned his sneakiness as he sometimes used it to startle the old medic. He paused behind a barrel and held his breath as the slow, heavy tread of a night watchman grew nearer. It was impossible to tell which way he was coming from, given that the empty streets were serving to amplify and confuse the sound. Raf scowled and hoisted himself up onto the barrel, using it as a step-stool to scramble up the side of the nearest house. He lay on his stomach on an outer support beam, covered in thatch, and waited. From beneath the itchy, stale straw, he saw the faint glow of a battery-powered lantern as two soldiers rounded the corner.

"This street's clear," a bored young woman sighed, "Just like the others. Come on! Does Tulle really think anyone would actually be stupid enough to go outside when the shields are down?" She was quickly shushed by her companion and hurried along the road. "That's _Magistrate_ Tulle. And you _know_ she gets twitchier every full moon!" The guards turned at the end of the street, voices growing faint. "Right, right. Hey, think we'll get to see the Raa Anta when they come?" "Doubt it. _Nobody_ sees an Anta when it doesn't want to be seen." Eventually, footsteps and voices faded away entirely, and Raf rolled down off the beam and hopped off the barrel. "That was close!" he muttered. On foot, it would take him twenty minutes to reach their normal meeting place from where he was. Once in the less agricultural part of Jasper, there would be more places to hide.

A quick look at his gauntlet told him that Miko was on the move as well, and that Jack hadn't left yet. Keeping to the shadows, Rafael crept through the center of town and ducked under a bench. Unsurprisingly, the highest concentration of patrols were on the walltops, watching for any signs of Raptor Packs. The boy crawled on his stomach from bench to bench, avoiding the spotlights being cast about. His foot connected with the edge of a cobblestone with a soft clatter, twisting his ankle slightly. "Who's there?!" A man with a flashlight emerged from an alley and Raf froze. "Ah, Fallen blast it!" he hissed under his breath, trying to ignore the pain. Grimly, he pressed his lips together and waited. The soldier, wearing an insignia that Raf would later learn belonged to Tulle's personal guard, walked slowly across the square, turning his lamp this way and that. "Where are you?" Raf heard him mutter under his breath. '_Nope. Nope! You didn't hear anything! Go away, go away, go away!' _The child chanted silently, willing the man to turn around.

Suddenly, a low, warbling whistle broke the night. "Movement in the South fields!" Sentry Fowler bellowed, "Raptor Pack incoming!" The guard abandoned his search and sprinted for the wall stairs. "How many, Fowler?" "Just scouts for now, but they know the shield is down." As soon as the guard had reached the walltop, Raf scrambled from his hiding place and limped in the opposite direction, towards the ruins of the park. He flinched when he heard another sentry call out, "Who's that down there? Stop!" but he kept moving. There were no shadows or alleys to hide in now that he had reached the edge of the center of town. He heard the pounding of feet behind him, yet he pressed on. A rough hand fell on his shoulder. "What're you doing out after curfew?" the woman demanded.

When Raf refused to answer her, she grabbed him by the collar and lifted him bodily from the ground. "You're in a heap of trouble already junior, don't add 'resisting arrest' to 'breaking curfew'." The glow of the watchwoman's lantern bathed the boy's face in a sickly light and he turned his head to shield his eyes. The grip on his shirtfront tightened and the lantern fell away as Raf's scars caught the light. "By Ar," the guard gasped, "You're a _Speaker_!" She turned to shout up to her superiors. _Crack_! Her head snapped to the side and she collapsed, dropping Rafael to the ground. Out of the darkness, a figure wielding a long staff emerged. "**On your feet, ats'ka**," Miko reached down for Raf. "Let's go, before the Raptors reach the fence." Hoisting the boy up, Miko shouldered her staff and took off at a run, towing her friend behind her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone! I meant to have this out sooner, but the website was having issues and wouldn't let me submit it. Was anyone else having trouble with that? Anyway, some familiar faces in this chapter, for everyone who's patiently waited thus far for them!**

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><p>As with the other chapters, <strong>bold text<strong>= Cybertronian

Chapter 7

"Jackson Darby, _what_ do you think you're doing?!"

Jack winced, hand frozen at the door controls. He turned to find June standing in the darkened hallway with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. "Mom, I don't have time to explain," he began, "There's...there's something I have to do." June's one good eye glinted an angry ice-blue as she moved to intercept her son. "Whatever it is, it will wait until morning. You are _not_ going out after curfew on a full-moon night and that's _final_!" She watched the boy tug at his raven hair, frustrated, and winced as he uncovered the mark behind his ear. June reached out to cover it again, but Jack caught her hand. "Mom," he said gently, "I know this doesn't make sense right now, but I need to be out there. I need to see the Anta."

June shook her head adamantly. "Jack, I worry enough about you when you're following the rules, but _this_? I don't need Tulle and her guards to have a reason to raid our house, Jack. I've had a hard enough time keeping the archives out of her reach." Her son blinked suddenly, catching on the unfamiliar term. "What archives?" he asked in a slightly suspicious voice. June lifted her chin, and the lamplight shimmered on her faction symbol. "The black books in the chests in your room aren't stories, hon. They're the historical records of life before the Cataclysm, dating back to the beginnings of human civilization." Jack stumbled back against the door, surprised and a little in awe. It was a prodigious collection of books, many quite antiquated. Given what he'd seen of Magistrate Tulle, Jack had little trouble imagining what might happen if the corrupt woman were to get her hands on the precious records. "Where did they come from?" he asked softly. June tilted her head and stared at him strangely. "How can you have forgotten? They were your father's, before he was killed. And your grandfather's before that."

Jack swallowed hard and looked down. "Mom, if everything goes the way it should tonight, it'll be a step towards preserving that history," he said carefully. If he and the others found the Autobots, Raf had hypothesized that their proximity could bring about the timeline reset before things got out of hand. Or before the timeline settled and their previous way of life was erased completely. There was a danger of being caught, of course, but Jack wasn't afraid of humans. For a moment, he fingered the amber bead in his pocket-the gift from Frederica. He had a feeling that there were people in Jasper willing to hide them from the guards, if it came to that. "Mom," he said quietly, "They say the marks behind my ear make me a Speaker for the Anta. If that's what I am, then I have a duty to perform. I have to _listen_ before I can _speak_, and to listen, I have to find the Raa Anta."

He squeezed his mother's hand, and she suddenly became aware of a desperation in his eyes, a certain fragility that she could not ignore. "If they take you-" her voice cracked. Jack smiled. "I can take care of myself, Mom. I'm not worried about Tulle." Slowly, he released June's hand as she whispered, "I meant the Raa Anta, sweetheart. They're completely unlike you or I. Who's to say what they might do if you just approach one at random?" She stepped back, shocked, as her son swung a rifle over his shoulder with a practiced ease and slid the door open. "They would _never_ hurt a human," he declared firmly, "Never." Jack blew his mother a kiss and melted into the night. His workboots were loud against the stone, but as he apparently owned no other shoes, there was nothing he could do to change that. There was only one patrol in his part of town, and there was a good chance that they would be preoccupied with the street behind his-which was home to a rather uncouth set of individuals, Granite being among them.

As he ran, a chill came over him very like it had in the Forest and he almost stopped. **"Does he remember?"** someone whispered. **"It is just another human, F'ar,"** a second whisper answered, **"Why do you continue to torture yourself every lunar renewal?"** Jack stopped and ducked around a corner, listening. **"Because they are **_**ours**_**, Alkare! We failed them once before: never again."** And Jack knew the speaker. Carefully, he touched two fingers to the scars behind his ear, feeling for the place beneath the skin where his comm chip had settled itself. Would it react to thought? It was at least worth a try. _**Miko! Raf! I found them...or maybe they found me? I'm not sure, but I'm half a mile from the meeting place.**_

Something rustled in the shadows.** "Stop. What was that?"** the one called Alkare hissed, jet black against the sky. **"You felt it too?"** F'ar murmured, **"A private comm frequency."** A smaller shape stepped out from behind Alkare. **"They're close!"** she cried jubilantly. A message from Miko flooded Jack's awareness, disorienting him. It was not so much that he heard her voice or saw words in his mind, but he somehow knew exactly what she was saying._** On our way, Raf hurt his ankle. Keep them there five minutes. **_Jack sent an affirmative and stepped out from the shelter of the house. A strangled sound escaped F'ar as he stepped into the light. "...Jack?" The boy rubbed the back of his neck and smiled weakly. "Hey, Partner. We were starting to wonder where you guys were!"

Alkare blinked and loomed over him with a severe look. "What is your designation, Lion's Child, and why do you speak so familiarly to F'ar?" Jack swallowed hard and shifted back a step. "Um...I...it's a little hard to explain." Alkare's eyes narrowed as he stooped to view the human. "It's a little hard to explain.._.sir_." he growled. Right at this moment, a huffing, puffing Miko arrived, carrying Rafael on her back. "Save it, Commander," she gasped bad-temperedly as she lowered Raf to the ground, "We've got Thoron Anta inbound." Jack knelt beside the younger boy. "What happened, Raf?" he asked quietly. Raf made a face. "I twisted it, that's all. It'll be fine by morning...but Miko knocked a guard unconscious." The older boy gaped at her. "**Primus, K'anis**! What were you _thinking_?" Above them, "Alkare" looked more and more discomfited.

"Where are the Thoron Anta now?" he asked sharply. Miko pointed West. "They've got two Raptor Packs leading the way on foot, but from my sister's telescope I caught at least two Seekers coming in fast." Jack loaded the rifle while still crouched. "Great. Just great." Above him, the familiar whirr of a weapon being equipped caught his attention and all three humans yelped and jumped out of Alkare's way as he stormed towards the gates. "Alpha Trion's Beard!" Miko gasped, "Why didn't anyone _tell_ me he had a Hyperflux Cannon? What'd he do, rip off Shockwave's _arm_ to get it?" Arcee smirked down at the girl. "Pretty much, yes. I think you'll find him a little more aggressive than you remember."

"And you're a little more...more than I remember!" Miko retorted, taking in the femme's appearance. Armor that had been simple, blue and scratched was now more silver than anything else. Glyphs for fortitude and foresight were engraved on the edges of elegant swoops and curves of plating, giving her an air of almost barbaric splendor. She fit perfectly into the quasi-medieval feel of the village, and Miko could not shake the mental image of this Arcee leading troops into battle like an avenging goddess, a blade in one hand and a bird of prey upon the other.

"You look like Solus Prime!" Raf gasped in awe, and his glasses slipped down his nose a fraction. Arcee laughed and ran her servos through his thick hair affectionately. "Why thank you!" With a wry smirk, she explained that the reformatting of the timeline had effected appearances as well as circumstances. "You ought to see the others!" she winked. Then her smile faded. "Go home, all of you. Stay with your parents until this blows over." Equipping her own blasters, the femme moved to follow her companion. "What? No! We just found you guys again, why would we leave?" Jack protested angrily.

"Jack, don't fight me on this," Arcee warned, "There are _generations_ of protocol in place and I can't break them. We swore to protect Jasper: _all_ of Jasper. I have to go." Miko slammed a fist into her palm. "But we're a part of the team!" When Arcee did not respond right away, her face fell slightly. "...aren't we?" The slim femme struggled with whether or not to say anything. It wasn't fair! Two years of searching and battle comes the moment she found her partner? Arcee took that as proof that there was such a thing as the devil. "Just...get back inside. Don't come out the the Forest alone: wait for us to come to you. Do you understand?" She met the angry silence with a glare of her own. "Do you understand?" she repeated. Jack's expression was unreadable as his inclined his head ever-so-slightly in acknowledgment.

Her optics softened and she sighed. "Please. I _can't_ lose you again; I need to know you are safe while I'm out there fighting.' An explosion rocked the night and lit the sky a lurid orange. Jack took hold of Miko and Raf's hands and nodded to his partner. "Go. We'll be waiting." Arcee's shoulder guards sagged in relief. "I'll bash some helms for you, Partner," she promised, "Hurry up and get out of sight before one of Tulle's patrols catches you! Call me paranoid, but there's something I don't trust about that woman." With that, the Autobot—or rather, Raa Anta—disappeared over the palisade with a harsh war cry, adding to the confused sounds of combat.

Alkare stood at the north wall of the palisade, Hyperflux cannon aimed at the sky. **"The girl was correct,"** he bit out sharply in their own tongue, **"Two Seekers inbound. I downed one, the other turned back."** With a shake of her helm, "F'ar" drew two slim energon blades from her back and connected the handles. The two-sided weapon hummed through the air in spinning arcs as its wielder braced herself in a fighting crouch. The Raptor Packs surged forward out of the trees, firing at guards, at the walls, but never at the Autobots. They had long since learned that the Raa Anta were the prey of none save perhaps Kerythcor or the Hakarmaskannar Anta. Arcee whipped her sword through the air almost too quickly to be seen, deflecting the larger missiles.** "Alkare, where are the others?"** she shouted, barely catching a plasma grenade and hurling it back, **"The Raptors have never been this determined before!"**

Alkare swung a huge fist down, creating a shockwave that knocked most of the raiders off balance.** "Iirt hunts with the Draug this night, do you not remember? He agreed to take your place so that you could search Jasper again."** His optics widened almost imperceptibly as a throaty roar shook the Forest. Everything stopped at once: the Sentries on the walltop trembled and raised their rifles to their shoulders as the Raptors raised a mighty cheer. "_Grendel! Grendel! Grendel!_" they chanted. "Not the gestalt!" Arcee groaned, switching back to English without realizing it. At her side, Alkare scowled and readied his guns. "Ar is on his way," he murmured, "He will stop Grendel before he reaches the clearing."

F'ar nodded and grimaced. "We've got a while before the moon goes down," she clenched her denta. "This wall is _not_ coming down with it." Suddenly, her internal comm hummed to life.** "F'ar, are you at the human settlement?"** a younger voice piped over the link. "Go ahead, Halya." she replied tersely. The warrior sounded apologetic. **"We're gonna be a little late. Tyaro and I just found the impetus of the attack."** Listening in on his own comm, Alkare interrupted unceremoniously. "Well, out with it, soldier!" The grim pronouncement froze both Autobots in their tracks. **"It's Kaivolkalma. He's the one who ordered the Grendel in as backup."** Arcee exchanged horrified glances with Ultra Magnus. "Kaivolkalma? But he never leaves the wastes unless..."

Alkare clenched his fists. "Unless Kerythcor is on the move."


	8. Chapter 8

**So some folks were asking about the names of the Anta. Basically I took Elvish (or derivative Elvish) and either translated names or found a word matching their personalities.**

**Ar- Optimus**

**F'ar- Arcee**

**Iirt- Bumblebee**

**Fallaner- Ratchet**

**Andram- Bulkhead**

**Halya- Smokescreen **

**Tyaro- Wheeljack**

**Alkare- Ultra Magnus **

**Kerythcor- Megatron**

**Kaivolkalma- Soundwave**

**as before, bold print is Cybertronian**

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><p>Chapter 8<p>

_Clang_!

Halya's shield, raised in the nick of time, reverberated as the tentacles struck it, pushing him back several feet. Smooth, layered armor, meant for stealth, rippled nervously and clung to the young guardsmech's frame as he tended off Kaivolkalma's attacks. "What do you want with Jasper?" he demanded, knowing that he would be met with no answer. "Normally the Thoron Anta are content to let their humans carry on their feuds without intervening. What makes tonight so special?" He turned a backflip as another tentacle ripped away his shield, and activated the stealth mode of his armor. An energy field extended from his plating to draw from the surrounding trees, rendering Halya invisible to optic and sensor alike.

Expressionless as always, Kaivolkalma rotated his helm back and forth, listening. The ground shook as a heavy form barreled towards him. "For our Speaker!" Tyaro thundered, slashing away with his dual swords. Even as he silently directed Grendel to smash down the palisade, Kaivolkalma presented a glyph of confused innocence across his visor. "Don't play dumb, 'Con!" Tyaro gasped raggedly as he swung at the mech, "Two years ago our Speaker vanishes. His life signal goes offline days later. I got three witnesses that place you at the scene." So preoccupied was the silent mech with this burst of data that he was caught almost completely off guard when Halya materialized behind him and struck him to the ground. The Thoron and the Raa were enemies, and nothing was likely to ever change that, but even Kerythcor himself wouldn't stoop so low as to kidnap and murder another clan's Speaker!

The lithe creature squirmed, serpent-like, out of their grip and held out one hand. Tyaro and Halya tensed, readying themselves for the attack they sensed coming. A ghoulish shriek echoed through the woods as a small, clawed figure swooped low from the trees and flew at the mechs. It hissed and scratched, distracting them long enough for Kaivolkalma to vanish into the mists. A warning shot streaked past the deployer and it reluctantly retreated, leaving one last set of long scratches in Halya's faceplate. "Andram!" the younger soldier cried out in relief, "Are we glad to see you!" Olive green armor, almost invisible in the darkness of the forest, clanked softly as the Wrecker turned. "What's old Slendermech doing out of the wastes?" he growled, "He never leaves the volcanic vents if he can help it!"

Tyaro sheathed his blades and scowled. "Not unless you-know-who gave him marching orders." The sudden squeal of an urgent message on the open comm channel left them all wincing and grasping their helms.** "Tyaro! Andram! Halya! Get your gears to the palisade: they've summoned Grendel!"** Alkare snapped. Andram shuddered. "I hate that thing!" he groaned,** "Where's Ar?" **This time F'ar replied.** "He's on his way, but we need you here, now. The Raptors are hitting the weaker parts of the fence, and there's only so much we can do without hurting them."** Because heaven forbid a Raptor should be injured. Despite their legendary disregard for humanity, the Thoron Anta would rise up in fury and demand blood payment.

**"Andram." **her voice was softer now, awed.** "I found them. I finally found them." **Instantly the green mech transformed and sped towards the city. **"Miko? She's alright?"** he asked, concern coloring his normally boisterous voice. **"They're all okay, Bulk. And they all remember!" **The Wrecker sighed. "They remember!" he echoed, "It took 'em two years, but they remember!" He cleared a second comm channel, widening the broadcast range.** "Ar! Did you hear?" **The gentle tones of what the humans imagined was their king washed over the Wreckers as they drove on. **"Yes, my friend. It is indeed a welcome relief, yet we must concentrate on the task at hand. Grendel is taking a northward path to the city: cut him off before he reaches the edge of the Forest!"** With a sharp chorus of "Aahroh, Ar!" the Autobots split up and made for the north trails.

OooO

Within the city, alarms blared and guards rushed to and fro. "Volunteer fire department: all hands to the walls!" Troops of men and women carrying fire extinguishers of varying make and model darted towards the smoldering palisade, which shuddered under the impact of another blast. Nearly forgotten in the chaos, Jack herded the others into an alley. "My house is closest," he hissed as they ducked behind a house, "After the next group of guards passes, we'll make a run for it." He looked down as Raf tugged his sleeve, an expression caught between guilt and fright splashed across his face. "Jack, I got caught," he gulped. Jack patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Yeah, I know, **ats'ka**. Miko knocked the guard out. We're going to have to deal with that later."

"No, Jack you don't get it!" Raf adjusted his glasses miserably. "She saw the scars! She knows I'm a Speaker! When she wakes up, she's going to tell someone, Jack." Miko and Jack paled. "_Scrap_," Miko breathed, and Jack could not help but concur. Matters worsened when one of the passing fire brigades paused at the end of the alley. "Hey! Who's that down there?" a man called gruffly. Thinking quickly, Miko shouted, "Volunteers! We got separated from the group!" With Raptors at the gates and the Raa Anta in battle, there was no time to question the trio. "Right, come on. Grab a pail at the very least!" the other volunteer ordered. "Nice," Jack whispered, lightly punching the girl's arm. "Don't thank me yet," Miko answered grimly, "This isn't over by a long shot."

The three followed the small band towards the wall gate Jack and Sierra had used earlier in the week. Working quickly and quietly, the volunteers soaked the wood on their side to make it harder to burn. Those with extinguishers had the more dangerous position: they stood at the walltops, in the line of fire, putting out the small blazes that burst up under the blows of incendiary grenades. Everyone jolted as a voice rose over the hubbub. "_Hey_!" Rafael gasped and held up his pail as if it were a shield as several guards approached. "We're looking for a kid, about eleven or twelve. Spiky hair, wears glasses, has a Speaker mark. Seen him?" the captain asked the head of the volunteer firefighters. Raf dropped his bucket and squirmed through the crowd until he'd reached the others. "Looks like she woke up sooner than we thought!" he growled, and neither Miko nor Jack had to ask who "she" was.

Now they faced a dilemma: remain in the city and try to outrun the guards (who would almost certainly take them to Tulle), or take their chances outside the fence, dodging militant humans and Decepticons. They reached a wordless consensus almost immediately. Jack slipped under one of the temporary barricades and set his shoulder against the door. **'We have to be quick,' **he warned the others over the comm,** 'We can't risk any Raptors getting in here.'** Miko rolled under the barely-lifted door first. **'All quiet over here: they're attacking the main gate.' **she reported. Raf scrambled through next, and both held the door up long enough for Jack to escape. "Just like old times, right?" Raf chuckled dryly. All three winced suddenly as Arcee's voice rang in their ears.** "**What do you think you're doing out here?!" she sputtered, outraged, "I told you to go home!**" **Twelve yards away, she moved in graceful circles, deflecting grenades, but her angry optics were fixed on them.

**"The guards identified Raf, 'Cee! The gate was our only avenue of escape!" **Jack protested. The femme scowled fiercely, but relented. '**Fine**,' she snapped over their comms**. 'But until this is over, you hide. Do you understand me?'** The ground shook as a rusty, undulating bellow sounded from the trees. "Let's go," Jack gulped. Keeping their heads down, the children made a break for the fields, taking care to skirt the walls of Jasper, where the heaviest fighting was. As they ran, the earth trembled as something huge and heavy drew nearer and nearer. The shocks made it difficult for them to keep their balance, and Raf tripped. Before the older two even had time to realize he wasn't with them anymore, a massive, ugly thing burst from the woods.

Dark shades of charcoal and hematite lay in uneven layers of armor, like lava left to cool. Fiery optics glowered down at the city as five minds struggled to cooperate, honing in on a single command: destroy the walls, destroy the corruption. Grendel howled again, an earthshaking crash of metal against stone. Then he lumbered forward, massive digging claws dragging along the ground. He did not see the two organics that yelped and leaped out of his way, dodging into the outskirts of the Forest. Nor did he see the smaller third that remained on the ground, hidden behind a tree stump until he had passed. The Raptors gave way before the gestalt, shouting encouragements to the brutish Cybertronian.

In the edges of the Forest, Jack skidded to a halt. "Wait, where's Raf?" he asked. "You lost him?!" Miko cried out, horrified. She immediately began looking around. '**Raf? Raf! Respond! Are you okay?'** For two horrible seconds there was no reply. Then, blessedly, an answer. **'I'm alive, just scared. I can see a culvert leading under the stone part of the walls, I'm going to hide in there.' **The glyphs accompanying the words were shaky and full of connotations of security and near-misses. Jack relaxed slightly. That had been too close. '**Good call, Raf. Sorry for losing you,'** he included at least three pictographs for apology in his mental missive. '**Is there room for us down there with you?' **Unfortunately, there was not, and Jack and Miko were forced to look for their own hiding place.

"Okay," Jack wiped his brow and crouched to catch his breath a moment. "There's a clearing about half a mile from here with a bunch of stumps in a ring. I don't know why, but I feel like we'll be safe in the center." Miko raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "Let's go." The teens moved as silently as they could through the outer edge of the Forest. The heavy canopy of leaves felt somehow more oppressive now, almost smothering. Miko stopped to disentangle her hair from a low-hanging branch and sighed. "When this is all over," she declared, "I'm going to sit and play Skyrim, and if an online player complains about the difficulty of their quest, I am going to _laugh_ at them." Behind her, Jack blinked oddly. The name sounded familiar, but for the life of him, he couldn't place it. "Sky-rim?" he asked slowly, "What's that?"

Miko whirled and stared at him. "The video game? Skyrim? Dude, I play it _all the time_, remember?" Mutely, Jack shook his head. Suspicious, Miko asked, "Well do you know what _your_ favorite video game is?" It took the boy the better part of a minute before he answered, "Halo Reach." He shook his head. "Why did that take so long to answer? It's like the data just...wasn't there!" Concerned, Jack ran a mental diagnostic to see if there were any other memory gaps. There were. At the moment, it was only small things: the color of his first bicycle, lists of dates from world history post-Civil War, the name of his kindergarten teacher. Then, with a soft thrill of horror, he realized that the secondary timeline was eclipsing the first. The past was erasing itself to reflect the new timeline: there would have been no World Wars, no Civil Rights Movement, no moon landing in 1969.

Which meant that all his past experiences with the Autobots would disappear as well, leaving him without the wealth of memories he'd come to treasure. He would never have been trapped in the Shadowzone with Raf and Miko, or been entrusted with the Key to Vector Sigma. Jack bent over, hands on his knees, and tried not to panic as he managed between gasping breaths to tell Miko what was happening. "Easy, **Y'ats'a**, easy," she soothed, taking a moment to smooth his hair. "Once we're all back with our 'Bots, everything will go back to normal. It has to!" Miko reached out for Jack's hands and drew him upright. "Now come on: you said the ring was this way?" Jack nodded after a moment and pushed through the underbrush. "Okay. Okay, we can do this." Neither teen saw the sniper crouched in the bushes.

In the culvert, Raf scooted back away from the entrance as Grendel lumbered past. He could hear the Autobots engaging him in battle, and by the sounds of things, a Wrecker or two had joined the fray.** 'Go get 'em, guys!' **Raf cheered on the open comm. **'What the- is that a kid?!' **a voice that was definitely Wheeljack squawked over the line.** "I'm a Speaker!" **Raf answered, almost apologetically**. "At least, I think that's how this works." **The Wrecker was silent for a moment, evidently concentrating on battle, then the human heard him murmur**, 'Is that what we're doing now? We're claiming babies? Cuz this kid sounds pretty young for Speaker-work.'**

The comm frequency went silent as the gunfire on the field intensified. Rafael gulped and crawled further into the drain. By the look of the wall, he guessed he was partway under the Echelon building, which made him feel a little safer. The stone would hold up better than the palisade. The water trickling in from the stream came dup to his elbows as he crawled, soaking his clothing and plastering his shirt to his skin. The boy shivered as short fingers touched slimy, algae covered stones. "Ew, Ew, Ew," he grunted scooting quickly through the murk, "I am _not_ cut out for field work!" Suddenly, his left hand caught on something cold and hard. It felt less like rock and more like metal, piquing his curiosity.

Raf pulled the object up, but it was caught on something. From what little of it he held out of the water, it looked to be a golden chain, such as the kind worn around necks in the old days. "Cool," he whispered, and tugged at the chain, trying to free it. Three times he pulled, with no results. Them be gave a mighty heave, and the chain left the creek, dragging the thing it had been caught on. A scream burst from the child's lips and he hastily dropped the glinting jewelry. Gleaming dull brown in the half-light, a slippery skull grinned up at him, staring out of empty eye-sockets. The chain had been wrapped around the neck, which wobbled loosely on the ribcage that barely protruded from the dark water. Faint traces of flesh and cloth still clung to the slippery form, preserved by the water's temperature.

A rusted stiletto in between the vertebrae of the neck, still sporting the twinkle of a jeweled hilt, loudly proclaimed the manner in which the man had died. Across the space where his ear would have been, a dark, twisting mark was etched into the bone. With trembling fingers, Rafael traced the mark behind his own ear. They matched almost perfectly. The dead man had been a Speaker. Whimpering, the child scrambled backwards away from the corpse, panic rising in his chest, clawing at his throat. Decepticons, he'd seen. Predacons, he'd seen. He'd witnessed Megatron's return, nearly died of Dark Energon poisoning, but never had he actually seen the body of one of his own species before. To find what was very clearly a murder victim was something he had no reckoning for.

Heedless of the warzone, the twelve year old dashed out of the culvert, utterly terrified. Blinded by fear, he did not see the tall form, reaching down with long, slender servos until it was too late.


	9. Chapter 9

**Happy Monday everyone! Or whatever day you end up reading this, I guess. I'd like to note that there's a passage in this chapter that I took from the epic poem "Beowulf". I only changed a few words from the original (which is, by the way, one of the reasons I love literature so much), so I can't claim it as my own work. Although I'm pretty sure that Beowulf is in the public domain. **

**Oh well. Roll out!**

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><p>Chapter 9<p>

Rafael barely had time to scream as dark talons wrapped around him, lifting him off the ground in a dizzying rush. Had he been a little more aware of his surroundings, he might have noticed the grenade that struck the place he had just been standing. Trembling, the boy stared up into the expressionless mask of Megatron's most trusted spy and braced himself for what was to come. The dark form rocked back on its pedes and brought its cupped hands close to its face to examine its prisoner. Well, it wasn't one of the Raptors, that was for certain. Kaivolkalma assumed that the child was one of the People of the Lion's, but he could not think of a reason for one so young to be out in the midst of battle. Perhaps he was fleeing Jasper? If so, Kaivolkalma did not blame him.

Grendel would tear down the walls of the city, and the Thoron Anta would keep the Raa Anta occupied long enough for the Raptors to conquer Jasper. Their humans would have the land and resources they needed, and Kerythcor would find and destroy whatever blot of corruption he had sensed within the enclosure. Something was rotten in the city of Jasper, and this close to the walls, Kaivolkalma could sense it. The trembling shape in his hands almost reeked of it, and the spy guessed that the little human had stumbled upon something unfortunate in the little hole he'd just crawled out of. Absently, he raised a servo to smooth the matted hair and calm the child. Raf flinched, and the mech had to remind himself that this was not one of the Fledglings that followed him around the wastelands so often: this was one of the Raa Anta's charges. The boy had every right to be afraid of him.

If he'd thought the frightened human could understand him, Kaivolkalma would have ordered him to go back down the culvert and tell him what he'd found there. But his Speaker-brand looked too new for him to know what it meant, and the Thoron Anta's Speaker was back at their camp, well-protected. He had no one to translate for him. Carefully, he shielded the boy in his hands and strode to the edge of the trees. Raf shook so violently as he was set on a high tree branch that he fell off twice, leaving a slightly exasperated Kaivolkalma to hand him over to Lazerbeak with instructions to put the boy somewhere out-of-the-way until the battle was over. The poor creature was only a child, after all.

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><p>The Wreckers burst into the clearing in time to see F'ar leap out of the way of a blow intended to flatten her. "About time you three showed up!" she growled, launching herself onto Grendel's back in an attempt to find his weak spot. "Alkare is holding the gates, but just barely! One of you go back him up, the other two can help me put down Sunshine here!" Halya, of course, immediately volunteered to go to Alkare's aid. No one was especially surprised, given how much the younger mech looked up to the Wrecker Commander. Tyaro wove in and out of the gestalt's legs with his blades behind him, hoping to take out vulnerable ankle-joints. Nothing seemed to work. "He's made of metal and rock!" he exclaimed, exasperated, "Our weapons aren't working!"<p>

Something struck Andram suddenly: a scrap of text their late Speaker had read to him once, and he grinned roughly. "What'd ya expect, it's _Grendel_!" He subspaced his mace and blaster and clenched his fists. "You gotta do some things the old-fashioned way!" Planting his pedes firmly upon the turf so pockmarked by fire and grenade and cannon, Andram took hold of grisly Grendel's arm and, straining at the joints, bent it back and away from the walls of Jasper. Tyaro and F'ar conspired together that the gestalt should have no rest nor chance to shake free of their partner, and opened fire upon him. Enraged, the brute bellowed as he broke off his attack, swiping at his stinging optics.

In older days, when the last Speaker lived, the people of Jasper might have commemorated such a battle. As it was, Lydia Leander witnessed the fray from her window telescope and resolved that it would not be forgotten. In years to come, tales would be told of how Grendel stood rooted to the spot,

"For him the keen-souled kinsman of Ar

Apprehended - anathema alive

Was each to other. The gestalt dire

Took mortal hurt; a mighty wound

Showed on his shoulder, and sinews cracked,

And the bone-frame burst. To Andram now

The glory was given, and Grendel thence

Death-sick his den in the dark wastes sought"

The Raptors paused in their attack as their trump card howled in bitter agony, energon spraying from the twisted hole where his arm had been. Andram wielded the severed limb like a club and Grendel was knocked backwards several steps with a ringing clang. Two hours until the shields went back up. Grendel separated into his five component Decepticons, one of which was mangled nearly beyond recognition. Now that they were vulnerable, Arcee spun her blade rapidly in one hand, firing rapidly with the other. Smoke and light poured from the mouth and optics of one as he fell to the battlefield. Tyaro quickly cleaved another in two and headbutted a third. "Halya, how's it looking at the gate?" he shouted. After a few seconds, the younger answered, "They broke through the outer layer, but the secondary gate is holding. What about Grendel?"

"Sorted."

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><p>The Raptor scout in the brush slowly raised his rifle to his shoulder, trying not to alert the two teens in front of him. They had clearly come from within Jasper, but what were they doing out here? The man suspected they were looking for the Raa Anta. Well <em>that<em> just wouldn't do. The moment he slid the safety off, it all went wrong. The boy's head whipped around and he pulled his own gun from his back, forcing the sniper to fire before he was ready. The shot went wide, clipping the edge of the intended victim's arm. Barely a scratch? How had he missed so badly? Dodger took advantage of the boy's pained surprise to leap out of the bushes, tackling him to the ground.

In the brief scuffle that followed, Dodger had just gotten his hands around Jack's throat when the clouds rolled away from the moon, shimmering faintly on Jack's scars. Dodger gaped and his grip lessened. "Merciless Ungwe!" he swore, "I attacked a _Speaker_?!" Roughly, he shook the younger man. "What are your Anta? Who do you belong to?" Speakers were rare, and zealously defended by the tribes that marked them. To attack even an enemy's Speaker was to invite retribution from both the aggrieved Anta and one's own people! Dodger grimaced as he reflected. He'd already shot at and injured a Speaker, and that alone could see him exiled. He shook his head. "I'll give them a _real_ reason to cast me out!" he snarled, and tightened his grip on Jack's throat.

Colorful lights swarmed across Jack's eyes as he choked. Where was Miko? Had she escaped? Jack struck out at his attacker, landing several solid blows to the head and ribcage. The grip loosened a fraction in pain, then tightened even more. Jack continued to fight, but with dwindling strength as darkness crept over the edges of his vision and his lungs burned. That's when he heard it. _Clack-clack! _Miko had retrieved and reloaded both Jack's rifle and the sniper's, and held them both. "Let him go!" she warned loudly, "You have until three, then I shoot." Dodger gave her a mock-pitying look, then turned back to the boy, whose struggles were weakening. She barely looked big enough to hold the weapon. Dodger was not worried about some little Jasper princess who thought she held a pop-gun. He'd kill her next.

Miko shook her head and steeled her nerves. "Last warning, dude." Her voice only shook a little, which she was slightly proud of. But Jack was running out of time and she could not afford to wait any longer. "1...2..." Dodger did not move. "...3..."

_Blam_!

In shock, Dodger let go of the boy's throat and felt with one hand the hole just beneath his ribcage. He looked up with wide, accusing eyes. "You...you _shot_ me!" he gasped. Then he collapsed to the side, holding his middle. Jack rolled to his stomach coughing, gasping for breath. As his face faded back into a normal coloration, he slowly pulled himself to his knees, wincing at the starbursts behind his eyes at the sudden movement. '**Thanks, K'anis,' **he commed, unable to use his vocal cords yet.

The girl stood, swaying slightly, eyes locked on Dodger. Then, hoarsely, she asked, "Are you okay, Jack?" Jack nodded, climbing up slowly and brushing himself off. "Head hurts like you wouldn't believe, but I can breathe now," he rasped. He started to move on, then paused next to Miko. "It was him or me, Miko. You did warn him: he made his own choice." Neither of them felt any better about the situation, but Jack knew that's what he was supposed to say, wasn't it? Miko opened a public comm line and called out, '**There's a man in the woods, and he's been shot! He needs medical attention!' **Then she took Jack's arm and, stumbling and assisting by turns, the pair made their way to the ring of stumps.

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><p>The ground shook. It was barely a vibration, but it was enough to let the Raptors know that something else was coming. And it was something they did not want to face. A glimmer of silver and crimson among the trees was all they needed to see before Kaivolkalma abruptly transformed and sounded the call for retreat. Kerythcor was not close enough to aid them, they were not ready to stand against Ar. The silent mech had not quite lifted off quickly enough, and a powerful hand gripped his wing and brought him crashing to the ground. "You are far from your home, People of the Falcon," a deep voice said sternly.<p>

All movement ceased. The humans on the walls of Jasper dropped down below the parapets, silently averting their gaze. The Raptor packs drew slowly away from the gates, bunching together and murmuring nervously. The lurid glow of the fires along the wooden stakes gleamed, reflected in the burnished, scalloped chestplates as cerulean optics stared out over the engraved battle mask with quiet disapproval. He turned, still holding Kaivolkalma down with one hand, and quickly took stock of the situation in Jasper, then turned back to the aggressors. "You are all fortunate that there have been few casualties this night...on both sides. Return to the wastelands and tell Kerythcor to fight his _own_ battles!"

"Ar, there are three civilians outside of the walls," Alkare called, saluting brusquely. He failed to notice the grim looks exchanged by the wall guards, and the sharp hand signal their captain made to one of the patrols below. Outside, "Ar" nodded gravely. "Secure the walls, Alkare. Wreckers, ensure the Raptors' retreat. I will deal with Kaivolkalma." The last Prime drew the Star Saber from his back and the glow of the blade lit the approaching dawn's way. "Return to your master, Soundwave," he spoke calmly and quietly. "You will not take Jasper while we stand." The Decepticon transformed, still caught in Ar's grasp, and hissed. "_Fool!_" a voice pre-recorded played from the visor, "**Darkness has **_**come**_, and it _must be **cleansed with **_fire!"

Optimus hauled him to his pedes, and the battle mask retracted. His mouth was set in a thin, hard line. "Begone, teller of tales." With a mighty heave, he hurled Kaivolkalma into the air, where the spy had the presence of mind to transform and retreat. Taking their cue from him, the Raptor packs hastily departed, shooting hate-laden glares over their shoulders. There were too many Anta to fight: the battle was lost. Alkare moved to stand at his leaders elbow, and discreetly murmured that the walls were safe, as we're the city's occupants. Optimus nodded. "Follow them, old friend. We must make certain they do not attempt to double back," he returned. He turned to Halya. "Find Iirt and Fallaner," he commanded, "they must be informed of the recent developments." He strode towards the Forest, deep in thought.

"Ar?" He raised an eyebrow at the voice. "What is it?" he asked quietly as the Raa Anta melted into the shadows of the trees once more. The femme at his side made a little, worried frown. "The kids were out here during the battle," she said softly, "I sent them into the Forest to hide." Arcee relaxed slightly at her leader's approving nod. "It is certainly time they rejoined us," he mused, "I find that there is an unease growing upon my spark that will not be satisfied until I have seen the children with my own optics again." The "growing darkness" mentioned by Kaivolkalma worried him, and he had no intention of leaving the honorary Autobots in Jasper. Fallaner had hypothesized that when the children's memories returned, it would be a sign that the timeline was nearly ready to heal itself...or else cast off its old form and adopt this new world permanently. The archivist in him shuddered at the thought of so much incredible history, lost, wiped out.

* * *

><p>Jack stopped and tilted his head, frowning. "Miko," he coughed, "My ears are still ringing. Can you hear anything?" The girl stared blankly at him, unseeing. "Miko?" Jack asked again. She took a deep, shuddering breath before making a questioning sound. Jack put a hand on her shoulder and realized that she was trembling. "Miko, what's wrong?" he asked, surprised. She made as if to speak, but only consonants could be heard. It sounded like "killed him". She locked eyes with her companion, and her gaze was haunted. "Oh, oh <strong>K'anis<strong>..." Jack wasn't sure what to do. "You don't know that you killed him! You sent out a distress call for him before we left, maybe his friends found him?"

Miko shook her head, hair flying. "Doesn't matter. He'll bleed to death before they can heal him. _I_ did this, Jack." Her voice took an oddly hysterical edge, uncharacteristic of the young Wrecker. "I took a _life_, Jack!" She dropped her forehead to his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her in an attempt at comfort. "Miko...this isn't the first time you've taken a life - and both times it was to save a friend." The girl pushed away, shutting her eyes. "That was different." Different? Jack clenched his fists and hoped that didn't mean she'd taken the death of Hardshell lightly. "Different _how_, Miko?" he asked gravely. She wouldn't look at him. "Humans are much more fragile, **Y'ats'a**, you have to be careful with them," she choked. Then, in a horrified whisper, "They break so easily."

"Well I would've been the broken one if you hadn't stepped in, **K'anis**," Jack reassured her. "Let's go back and get Raf, and then find our 'Bots. You can talk to Optimus about it, okay?" He was relieved to see her nod after a moment and took her hand. "Let's go." Rosy-fingered dawn stole down through the leaves as they left the outer skirts of the Forest, but there was no cheer in it for them. Fifteen armed men stood in a semi-circle, waiting. One of them held Raf in a vise-like grip, unhindered by the child's angry struggles. "You are under arrest, marked ones," the captain growled. "Come quietly and we will see that you are treated fairly. Any attempt at escape or interference with the Raa Anta will be severely punished."

Miko had time to send one coded distress signal before she and Jack were seized as well.


	10. Chapter 10

**I had some trouble getting this to upload today...not sure why.**

**Anyway, be forewarned that there is some violence in this chapter. (We all knew the guards from the end of last chapter were bad news, right? Okay, just checking. No spoilers then.)**

**As usual, bold print is speaking in Cybertronian**

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><p>Chapter 10<p>

"Oh my _gosh_, Raf, what happened to your hair?!" Miko whispered as they were roughly hustled through the side gate. The small boy huffed. "Funny story, that. Apparently, this world's Laserbeak is female? And she's feeling broody. She tried to stuff me in a nest and proceeded to preen my hair. I think she'd gone looking for something to feed me when the soldiers found me." One of the soldiers in question shook him roughly, knocking his glasses askew. "Shut up!" he snarled. Jack dug his heels into the gravel, forcing his captors to a halt and glared at the one holding Raf. "Do not. Touch him. Again." There was something in his voice, familiar and unsettling. The guard shivered and released the smaller boy's shoulders.

At the head of the phalanx, the woman who had discovered Raf's Speaker mark whispered to the captain, "What now, sir? The head magistrate won't be able to attend to the matter for several hours." The mustachioed man scowled and his shoulders tensed. "We have more than enough to hold them on. We'll turn them over to Tulle's interrogators in the meantime. That's all we have to do." The other soldier glanced over her shoulder, catching Miko's vacant, chilling eyes. "Well," she whispered, "You'd better tell the interrogators to keep them separate. They pack quite a punch when they're together." Once inside the city, the group mostly kept to the shadows and back alleys, sternly warning the prisoners to keep quiet or suffer the consequences.

As the sun rose, the shields snapped back into place with a dull buzzing. Jack, Miko, and Rafael didn't have to see each other's faces to feel the loss of hope: the Autobots would no longer be able to hear their comms. They were on their own. As they passed through a narrow street near the market, a door opened and a tousle-headed woman looked out. Frederica's eyes widened as she saw Tulle's personal guard dragging three children towards the Echelon building. One of them was the kind young man who had helped her earlier that week. "Oh God protect them," she whispered, horrified. "Shield them and break the lion's jaw!" The woman hurried back inside and hastily threw on a bathrobe. Carefully wrapping her sleeping baby in a sling across her chest, Frederica stepped out into the misty morning. She had some calls to make. Determined, the shopkeeper strode towards the part of town where the healer lived.

* * *

><p>The Raptors had almost all retreated, and none of them were entertaining thoughts of attacking Jasper again—at least, not yet. Thus when the distress beacons activated, Arcee felt no compunction to ensure that no one doubled back. Without a word to the others, she dropped what she was doing and sped back towards the city, cursing herself for leaving the children alone. The walls were emptied of guards now that the barrier was back up, and the huntress knew that there had to be overwhelming evidence of wrongdoing to justify bringing the shield down. Even then, only Optimus had the strength required to shatter the dome.<p>

To her surprise, the femme saw Lazerbeak hurling herself against the barrier, shrieking angrily. F'ar caught the enraged cassette by the wings and pulled her away. "Where are the human children?" she demanded harshly. Out of the angry hissing and unintelligible squawks, words emerged. "Master give Lazerbeak Speaker-chick. Speaker-chick no got clan marks, chick mine! _Mine_!" The metallic bird wrenched both wings from the Autobot's grip and flung herself against the shield again. "Nest-robbers! Chick-snatchers! Egg-thieves hurt my fledgling! _Lazerbeak kill_! Kill!" The energon ran cold in F'ar's veins as she put the pieces together. "_Who_ took the Speakers, Lazerbeak? Where did they go?"

The cassette only continued to batter at the barrier over the Echelon building, screaming, "Lazerbeak kill nest-robbers! Kill all!" Arcee looked up at the stone structure, and a chill ran through her frame. **'Ar, soldiers took the kids,**' she snapped.** 'And I don't think it was to protect them if the way Lazerbeak is freaking out says anything.'** She took a moment to broadcast the deployer's hysterics to her leader, who responded with glyphs for confusion, concern, and interest all at once.** 'She says the "Speaker-chick" bore no clan marks?'** Ar mused, **'Yet we know for certain the children are marked as Speakers.'** Beside him, Alkare shifted uncomfortably. "Sir," he murmured, "Do you not recall? Without a clan mark, a Speaker may be claimed by any tribe of the Anta. It seems that perhaps Kaivolkalma intended to claim the smaller Speaker?"

**'Over my dead body!'** F'ar snapped. Optimus weighed their options in pensive silence, remembering Soundwave's warnings of a darkness in Jasper. Then he raised his helm, optics burning in the gloom of the Forest.** 'Summon Fallaner and Iirt, and contact the Draug,'** he ordered. **'If we hear nothing from the children within the next twelve hours, we will assume that we are dealing with a hostage situation and move to take them back.'** The Wreckers gaped at him, uncomfortable with the hard tone in his normally gentle voice.** 'But sir!' **Tyaro cried, **'The whole city of Jasper is our responsibility. We can't just endanger them all for the sake of three kids who got in trouble!'** He yelped as Bulkhead cuffed him sharply.

"You watch your mouth about my girl!" he growled. Ar held up a hand to silence them both. "Wheeljack is correct in that we are responsible for protecting more than our three humans," he said gravely, using his given name for the first time in years, "But I fear that if we do not intervene now, hundreds of innocents may be put at risk." Something like a sigh huffed over the line from Arcee. **'Optimus, with all due respect, I don't think we can wait twelve hours. If I don't hear anything in three, I'm calling the Draug to tunnel under the walls. I'm not losing Jack again.'** Lips pressed together in grim determination, she glared at the walls.

* * *

><p><em>Crack!<em>

That the blow was anticipated did not lessen its sting. Miko waited a moment for the ringing in her ears to fade before rotating her head listlessly to face the interrogator. "So tell me," she strained for a casual tone, "Do you do all of Tulle's dirty work, or are you only brave enough to hit girls?" The second slap left stars dancing in front of her eyes, but she kept a vacant, emotionless front. "Your insolence will be the death of you," the guard snarled. Unable to resist a Star Wars moment, she shot back, "Your faith in your friends will be yours!" Except that apparently Star Wars wasn't a thing in this world. The interrogator's eyes darkened, and she grabbed Miko by the collar, hauling her out of the chair so that their noses nearly touched.

"Let's get something straight _right_ now, kid: the fact that you are a girl is probably the _only_ reason you're not getting a beating like the boy." Suddenly Miko realized why Jack had blocked his comm and her blood boiled. "You go and tell them: you don't _touch _my brother," she hissed. Her voice was colder than wind. "I have blood on my hands. If you hurt my family, you're going to find out." She was flung roughly back onto the metal foldout chair as the interrogator began to circle her again. "Who gave you your Speaker mark?" she demanded. Miko tossed her head. "Nobody. Had 'em as long as I've been here." Which was, of course, the truth. It just sounded like a lie. Miko did not react at all as her hair was seized and pulled, forcing her head back. _They don't hold a candle to Decepticons_ she told herself.

"We already know there's a plot to overthrow the head magistrate," her captor growled, "There's no use lying about it. Where is the attack coming from? Who else knows about the last Speaker?!" The handcuffed girl blinked and tilted her head from side to side, considering. Then, she chuckled. "_Boy_ are your wires crossed! Lady, if I knew there was a movement to get rid of TuTu, I'd have joined it _years_ ago!" Quietly, she pondered the other question and tapped into Rafael's comm. Thankfully, the smaller child hadn't closed off the link like Jack had, allowing Miko to confirm that he had not yet been physically harmed. **'Raf, do you know anything about "the last Speaker"?'** she kept her focus straight ahead so that no one could suspect her of running messages.

**'I'm sorry, Nene'!' **The message accompanied glyphs of shame and guilt.** 'I didn't mean to tell them I saw the skeleton, it just slipped out!'** Soothingly, Miko urged Raf to explain. **'In the culvert, when I was hiding, I found a body. The last Speaker was murdered, Miko!'** It was not difficult to put two and two together. The interrogator was a little too interested in finding out how many people knew the last Speaker was dead to be concerned with justice. Miko glared at the guard and shifted a little in her seat.** 'It's okay, Ats'ka. You did fine. Did they hurt you?' **She was relieved to recieve a negative reply. **'They hit me once and took my glasses, but then they just put me in solitary confinement. Nene', why won't Jack answer his comm?' **Miko wasn't sure how to answer.

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><p>Jack spat out blood from a split lip, noting with detached interest that it had landed vaguely in the shape of Brazil. He was caught off guard when the boot connected with his ribs, but he didn't have enough energy to make a sound. Evidently, pummeling and kicking prisoners was par for the course when you were in Tulle's personal guard. Colorful lights danced across his vision as something struck the back of his head, and for some reason, all Jack could think of was, <em>Well, this is going to make weapon smithing a little difficult tomorrow.<em> He didn't know where his friends were: he'd blocked communication with them when the punching started. He didn't want Raf or Miko having to share his pain, not even if it was just by hearing his scattered and distracted thoughts. He'd been beaten up before, when he was a middle-school kid, but this was different. These weren't middle-school bullies, these were adults who didn't have to worry about getting in trouble with the teacher. Jack was tired of fighting, but he did not dare open his mouth. They wanted to know about his Speaker marks and the Anta? Good luck. They weren't going to get a peep out of him.

"Alright, I think he's had enough," someone grumbled, and the door creaked open. Jack dimly registered a pair of outrageous blue high heels and guessed who had entered the cell before she spoke. "Well I knew the Leanders' adopted brat was involved, but I really hadn't expected the healer's boy." Long-nailed fingers dug into his bruised scalp as Tulle cooed, "Really, I ought to thank you. I've been looking for an excuse to confiscate your mother's books for quite some time now, and you've just provided it!" Inwardly, Jack cursed his stupidity. If the head magistrate confiscated his mother's books, generations of history, literature, and philosophical works would be lost. The realization that it would create a situation rather like _The Book of Eli _almost amused him enough to laugh. Aloud, he whispered, "You're getting those volumes over her dead body!" Adelaide sniffed in condescending disgust and stood, wiping her bloody hand on a nearby guard. "Yes, that would be preferable. I simply can't _abide_ fractious people, can you?"

She frowned down her long nose at the battered teen as he slowly pushed himself to his knees, arms trembling. "If you so much as try to hurt my mother, I'll see you to the Pit for it," Jack rasped, "To say nothing of what Ratchet will do." The soldiers drew back, shuddering, and Tulle aimed a vicious kick at the young man. "Do not presume to speak the names of the Anta, boy," she sneered. "No." Jack glared back with equal ferocity. "_You_ don't presume to speak of them. You know _nothing_ about them! They know what's been done, Magistrate. They will come for us." He spoke with such finality that one of the guards paled and dropped his spear. Tulle laughed a twinkling, bell-like laugh and bent down to look Jack in the eye. "Let them. The anti-spark is as powerful as the spark. Perhaps even more so." The smile widened as she noted the boy's look of horror. Yes, he understood now. She pretended not to hear the hushed and fervent burst of Cybertronian—an old turn of phrase meant to ward off evil.

Tulle swept out the door and her smile vanished. "Magistrate," one of her aids murmured in the corridor, "The prisoners' families and several others have gathered upstairs. They are demanding the release of their children." For a moment, Adelaide's eye twitched, but then she smoothed her face into a saccharine smile again. What did it matter? "The Speakers know too much, Varton. I need them dead." The aid started slightly. "Dead? But madam, they're children! What excuse could we possibly give for killing them?!" He was brushed aside as the thin woman made her way down the hall, stopping to glance into the room where Miko was still being questioned. A purple bruise on the girl's cheek showed as evidence to how often she'd defied the interrogator thus far, yet her eyes still blazed with confidence. That one would not be easily broken. Tulle's eyes narrowed.

"I don't know, say they were supplying information to the enemy. You caught them outside the fence, didn't you? Look, I don't care _how_ you do it, just do it and do it _now_!" She stormed up the stairs, calling over her shoulder, "I'll be in my inner sanctum until dusk: I am _not_ to be disturbed until then!" Her fingers nervously twisted the violently purple stone on her finger. Plans had to move forward. Sacrifices had to be made. In the grand scheme of things, four Speakers was a small price to pay for immortality. Provided, of course, that no Anta discovered her until after the Sleeper had awoken once more.


	11. Chapter 11

**I left off last Monday with a bit of a cliffhanger, didn't I? Well, it's Monday once again and I'm back with the weekly update! **

**Hasbro owns the Transformers copyright, unfortunately. All words and situations within the tale, however, came from my own mind. Except for one line near the end that I took from one of the movies.**

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><p>Chapter 11<p>

The ring of stumps had stood inviolate for one hundred years, a place where humans and Anta alike could hold debates, officiate births and weddings, bring complaints, or simply celebrate.

Now it held a council of war.

On one half of the circle stood the Autobots, now joined by one who seemed so like a tree himself that there was hardly a trace of his amber and white armor beneath years of moss and vines. On the other half of the circle stood a young one of their species, tall and proud with a bow slung across his golden doorwings.

**'Is it true?' **he asked, his voice a series of humming and buzzing tones, **'Do they truly remember now?' **His answer was a slow, solemn nod. The golden youngling threw back his helm and made an indescribable sound of joy, startling the wild, shadowed things at his back. "Brother, our brother, warn us when you are about to initiate a howl!" The complaint came placidly from a wolf standing as high as Iirt's pauldron. "You nearly startled our little brothers and sisters!" The long snout twisted quickly, pointing back to the two human youths on his back and the myriad gleaming eyes in the dark. For the Draug Anta go nowhere without their humans, deeming them inseparable components of the kinship grouping. The People of the Wolf were wild, quick handed, clever people, ever ready to hunt.

Iirt bowed his helm apologetically. **'Please excuse me, Silverbolt. I often forget that you travel with young.' **The wolf's jaws hung open in an easy grin as he assured the scout that Draug children were not as easily frightened as all that. "Chak, Una!" he said in a suddenly more stern tone, "What has Lio told you about climbing on Anta strange to you? Get down at once!" As he'd been talking, the boy and girl on his back had decided to see whether the creature across the ring was an Anta or a tree. "But **T'o't**," the boy began in an explanatory tone. A slim femme melted out of the darkness, narrowing four red optics. "No buts, Chak. Apologize to Fallaner and get out of his branches this instant! That is _not_ respectful!" The twins sighed piteously, and with a mumbled, "**Aaroh, Its'a**," slid down.

As the two scrambled back up onto Silverbolt's back, one of the wildings, covered with white and gold fur, came to stand in the center of the ring and bowed respectfully to Optimus. "Ar, for every full moon for two years, we have helped you comb the forests and the towns for the youngest members of your pack. The male cubs and the girl-child. Tonight you call back the hunt before its time. Have you then found them? What is this council about, Ar?" Having spoken his piece, the leader of the Draug Anta bowed his helm and stepped back a pace. Optimus stood and leaned on his sword with a grave air about him. "They have indeed been located, Lio Convoy. However, all three children have been taken prisoner by humans within the city who wish to do them harm. That is why we have summoned you."

Among the trees a low murmur of human voices began to rise with the snarl of a tiger, the snort of a rhinoceros, the hiss of creatures thought long extinct. To intentionally harm a sentient being was taboo to the Draug: to harm a child was unthinkable. In a choking, furious voice, Lio growled, "Give us the scent. The Draug will end this." Before their optics he transformed, taking the shape of a colossal lion, baring its fangs. F'ar stood from her stump and held out a hand. "Believe me, Lio, I'd like nothing more. But the inhabitants of Jasper are innocent, and we don't want to start a panic. We need the stealth of the Draug to get me under the walls to rescue the kids. Ar will directly confront the guard for psychological purposes to grant us time."

"_Time_?!"

The "tree" moved suddenly, as if that word alone had brought him out of hibernation. "Time!" he repeated sharply. All optics turned to Fallaner, who grumbled under his breath. "What _about_ time, Ratchet?" Bulkhead asked warily from his seat. "We're running out of it!" the older mech snapped. "In the two years we've been here I have reviewed every ancient text I could get my servos on and if Jhiaxus's Law of Temporal Dynamics is credible, then we are facing Event Convergence in a matter of hours!"

"And if the kids aren't with us when the tempest hits..." Bulkhead trailed off, hardly needing to voice the fears of his companions. Being heavier, both literally and in the sense that they were all centuries old, the Cybertronians would weather the time-storm and find themselves back where they belonged (or, so went the theory). Something as small and short-lived as a human being stood no chance alone. Without the Autobots in physical proximity, Jack, Miko, and Rafael would simply vanish with the rest of this alternate world - utterly erased from existence. Arcee's optics hardened. "We move _now_," she snapped. No one felt like arguing with her.

* * *

><p>"Get up!"<p>

Instinctively, Jack felt the blow coming and curled up as quickly as his bruised body would let him in an attempt to prevent worse damage. Jack was no expert, but he suspected that another kick to his ribs would fracture them. "What are you, stupid? You think he can stand up on his own?" a second voice sneered, and someone pulled his forearms away from his face. A low whistle echoed in the stone room, blowing his hair out of his face - the hairs not plastered to his forehead with dried blood, that is. Jack squinted up into the face of a man only about ten years older than him.

There was a momentary flash of compassion in the guard's dark eyes, quickly masked by disdain. "Geez guys, what happened? You forgo black eyes in favor of split lips and lacerations? Looks too messy to be effective to me." He spat upon on hand and used the moisture to wipe some of the dark stain from the prisoner's temple. "Hey man, don't ask me to clean your gloves after this!" The woman at the door rolled her eyes at him. "Shut up, Manuel. You don't know anything! The kid's a punk, alright? Stubborn as anything." She shrugged carelessly, showing her lack of concern for the state the boy was in. "Take him to the Grey Room while I get the other two."

Manuel drew back, revolted. "The Grey Room?! Come on, Lalia, he's a kid! A _kid_! They're gonna execute him?!" Lalia shrugged thin shoulders, expression blank. "I don't make the rules, Manuel. _He's_ the one that was in the Forest." As she left, Manuel eased Jack's arm over his shoulder and heaved the exhausted teenager to his feet. "Sorry kid," he muttered, "This is going to be a little harder than I thought." He turned his head, and just for a second an amber bead caught the light as it swung from a braid behind the man's ear. Jack's eyes widened. "_Frederica_," he whispered. Quickly, the guard shushed him as he was dragged into the corridor. "Keep your voice _down_, boy! She's under suspicion as it is!"

He glanced back and forth, glaring. "Tulle's guards don't need to have those fears confirmed, understand? The Fishermen Organization uses me to gather intel on Tulle's darker dealings. I was supposed to sneak you and your friends out." He stopped at a square door made of reinforced steel. "Looks like that isn't happening though." Jack tipped his head to the side, unable to summon the strength to turn it all the way. "What's... the Grey Room?" he asked, a whisper of fear running through his voice. Manuel looked at him pityingly. "That's where condemned prisoners wait before being taken to the walltops and shot. Specifically, that's where Tulle keeps condemned prisoners when she doesn't want the other magistrates to know what she's doing."

Trembling, Jack shut his eyes and forced himself to try to breathe slowly to stall the panic. **'Arcee, where are you?!'** he cried out on his comm, knowing full well she couldn't hear him. Aloud, he whispered, "Please, I know you don't know me, but _please_ get Miko and Raf out of here. They didn't do anything wrong!" The door swung open with a foreboding creak and he was pushed into the brightly lit enclosure. "Just keep your eyes open, boy. They're counting on everyone being asleep still." With these enigmatic words, he left, slamming the door shut behind him. Without Manuel supporting his weight, Jack crashed to the floor in seconds. There was a gasp from somewhere nearby and suddenly Raf was there, holding up his head. "Jack! Are you okay?" From his other side he heard, "Why would you even ask that, Raf? He looks like he went ten rounds with Rumble!"

Two pairs of hands pulled him gently into a sitting position, and it was then that Jack saw the blossom of purple on Miko's cheek. "Who did that, **K'anis**?" he demanded, fury that someone had dared strike a member of his family overriding his fear of being shot. Miko brushed a hand over the bruise and made a feral little half smile. "I'm a lot more patient than the interrogator, lets put it that way." Jack leaned back against the wall and smiled back. "You are _such_ a Wrecker," he sighed. The smile fell away as he took in the bleak metal walls. "They're going to have us killed," he said softly. Small fingers interlaced themselves with his as Raf whispered, "I...I don't want to die, Jack."

"Me either, Raf, me either." Jack pulled the smaller boy close and winced as his muscles protested mightily. Miko said nothing, but her eyes were hard as the three huddled miserably in the corner. Then, in a fierce whisper, "If they shoot us on the walltops, we go down fighting, eyes to the Forest." The boy's glanced over at Miko, surprised. She turned to look at them, determination written across her face. "If we're gonna die, then we're gonna die like _Autobots_." After a moment, Jack and Raf nodded, and the three linked hands, waiting. When the guards came to take them to the walltops, the fear was gone, and in its place was an eerie calm.

* * *

><p>.<p>

Magistrate Tulle patted her hair into place, hurrying at the head of the phalanx. "Hurry _up_!" she snapped. "The families are still in my office waiting for me to negotiate a release! We've got four minutes to get this done. No mistakes!" The moment they were under open sky, all stealth was lost in a thunderous screech. Something flung itself at the dome, bouncing off and wheeling around for another attack. **'Speaker-chick! Mine! Nest-robber no kill my speaker-chick! Lazerbeak kill!'** Even without his glasses, Rafael recognized the sound. Struggling, he freed one arm from the soldiers' grip and waved it frantically. Decepticon help was better than no help at all.

Lazerbeak caught the signal, and surprisingly, understood it. She pulled up swiftly and flew to the edge of the Forest, lighting on an outstretched arm. **'Nest-robbers got speaker-chicks, gonna kill!'** she squawked, **'You move quick now, gonna lose speaker-chicks!'** Optimus nodded once and activated his comm. **'Arcee, move your unit into place. I will provide a distraction. The mist will obscure your entry point. But hurry!' **He launched Lazerbeak into the air and stormed towards the walls of Jasper. The people of the city appeared to have gathered in the streets and on rooftops, even before he left the tree line. If he found out they were there to witness the execution, there were going to be consequences.

* * *

><p>.<p>

Through the barriers, the protestors gathered by the Fishermen Organization felt the ground begin to shake. They scrambled onto the walltops and stood at the edges of the city, watching, waiting. A shadow moved in the mist, and two sapphire orbs burned in the blanket of white, shining down on them. The nervous guards murmured a collective greeting and bowed their heads, each holding up the symbol of the lion's head to proclaim their loyalty even as they prayed that the shield would hold. Those in the streets merely watched, tight-lipped. Many gestured to the wall where the Speaker trio had been forced to kneel.

"**Nene'**, who is it?" Raf whispered, squinting. Without his glasses, he could not see the eyes. The hands holding them did not give an inch, even as Miko strained against them. "One of ours, **Atsk'a**. They're here for us!" she all but crowed. Tulle cuffed her sharply, eliciting a warning glare from the two boys. "Mind your tongue before the Raa Anta!" the woman snapped, putting on a charade for the citizens as best she could in her frazzled state, "They never come during the day but when matters are grave indeed! It is my suspicion that they have learned of your repeated irreverence and your unnatural behaviors, and have become angry!" The children huffed or rolled their eyes at the thought. Jack frowned, suddenly troubled.

"But...we used the distress signal when we were captured...so why didn't they come for us until now?"he murmured to the others. Miko shook her head in lieu of a shrug. "I don't know, **Y'ats'a**, maybe they've been chasing off Raptors?" Beside them, Rafael hung his head and voiced a childlike fear. "Or maybe we did something wrong." With the guards pinning their arms behind their backs, Jack and Miko were unable to physically comfort the little boy, and each lapsed into what seemed a morose silence. Over their comms, however, the older two quickly reassured the third that this could not possibly be the case. **'The Autobots would _never_ leave us behind, Raf. Name _one_ time when we were forgotten!'** Miko challenged.

Raf hung his head. **'I can't. The memories are there, but...they're starting to get fuzzy, like they're disappearing!' **He looked up in horror. **'The timelines are converging. We have to get back to our fixed points before we forget _everything_!' **Jack and Miko squinted at him. **'Fixed points? What fixed points?'** Jack asked. **'The 'Bots!'** Raf was almost frantic. **'They're our constant! If we can get into physical contact with them before Event Convergence, we'll keep our memories. I think.' **The elder two cast each other grim looks, then turned pleading eyes up to the aqua lights in the mist. _Don't leave us!_ they silently shouted, suddenly worried again.

Magistrate Tulle straightened her robe, hoping against hope that the Anta hadn't come for the Speakers. They were too young to have _actually_ been in contact with the guardians! None of them even bore clan marks! Which meant, on further analysis, that any kind of Anta might show up, any at all! Young Speakers were rare, and three in the same generation in the same town was unheard of! Trembling, Tulle stared up at the stern blue eyes. It was too soon! Too soon! There were nine days left before the eclipse, when she could awaken the Sleeper. That's why she'd decided to execute the Speakers now, so that the Anta couldn't interfere! She was going to have to talk quickly to get out of this.

In the fog, the blue lights narrowed, and a thunderous voice spoke words they did not understand. The people trembled, for that voice was seldom heard. It was the king of the massive beings himself! What could he possibly want of them? No one had spoken the language of the Raa Anta since the mysterious disappearance of the last Speaker, for the magistrates' supervisor had forbidden its study as being too lofty for common folk. The titans hardly ever spoke to them anyway, giving them little reason to _want_ to learn it. The colossus waited a moment, then repeated his query. Taking advantage of the guards' distraction, Raf twisted out of their grasp and snatched his glasses back. As his friends followed suit, he dashed to the parapet, waving his arms and shouting.

"Here! We're down here, Optimus!" he cried, catching the Autobot's attention. The soldiers gasped at his outburst and drew back. Didn't he know it was bad luck to speak the giants' true names aloud? There were standard procedures for a reason! Tulle squeaked in dismay and scuttled forward to pull Raf away from the ledge. Jack dove forward and blocked her path determinedly as Raf called out, his voice cracking slightly, "Optimus, why didn't you come get us? Did we do something wrong?" The dark shape melted out of the mist and a great hand stretched towards the child, halting at the invisible barrier. The regal tone was troubled. **'Oh, child, is that what you thought?' **Raf scuffed his feet and looked away, nervous or embarrassed. "**Je, T'o't,"** he admitted. **'Is everyone alright?' **Optimus asked gently.

Miko wrapped an arm around Raf's shoulders and grinned fiercely. "Yeah, Optimus. Now we are. What now?" she called. The Prime did not miss the ugly mark on the girl's cheek, nor Raf's disheveled appearance, nor Jack's weakened stance. And was that _blood_? His optics darkened and he leaned down. **'_Who harmed you_?'** he growled. **'The guards, sir. All the ones wearing the violet star are under Tulle's command,' **Jack answered. All around them people gawked at the sight of mere children answering Ar of the Raa Anta in his own language. Their astonishment grew tenfold when Ar spoke sharply to the magistrate in the Common Tongue. "What right do you have to hold my people captive? They are not under the authority of the magistrates!"

The saccharine woman sputtered and spluttered for several seconds before answering in her high, haughty voice, "Forgive my _presumption_, O Ar of the Celestial Blade, but are they _not_ of the People of the Lion?" Jack could have sworn that Optimus rolled his optics, and with good reason. "_Ar of the Celestial Blade?_" the boy chuckled. Optimus shot him a stern look, clearly warning him, _Don't even start._ He raised his helm and spoke in a voice nearer to a mild earthquake than a displeased Prime. "Did you think all your deeds could be kept secret forever, Magistrate Adelaide Tulle? Taking the children was a _bad move._" He held up one hand, fist clenched, and the edge of the Forest came alive with movement. "You took three of ours. We will take them back."

* * *

><p>.<p>

Even as Optimus stood at the walls of the city, in full battle regalia, Arcee and the Draug slipped quietly through a tunnel they'd carved through the very culvert Raf had hidden in. It didn't take long to discover the body. Una found it first, having been brought in case of small holes and tight spaces. "**Its'a! Its'a!** Look!" she cried, "A dead Speaker!" Arcee stared down at the skeleton with pity. He'd been alive the first few months they'd been there, always helpful, always kind. "Be at peace, Reul," she murmured as they moved last him. The spider-like femme that Una called "**Its'a**" scowled and laid a comforting hand on "F'ar"'s arm. "It doesn't make any sense!" Blackarachnia said mournfully. "Why would anyone want to kill a Speaker?"

"You want _my_ guess?" came the shuddering reply from the front of the line. Their scout had returned from the low-ceilinged passage ahead. With a brisk shake, the rat transformed into a small, kneeling mech a little shorter than Arcee. "I'd say it was 'cause he found something he was t s'posed ta see! And I don't think _we're_ s'posed ta see it neither!" He pointed grimly behind him to where a sluggish purple light oozed out around the stones. "Dark Energon!" Arcee gasped, pulling back. "It's worse than that, F'ar," the rat added apologetically, "I saw the room before the dark stuff forced me out. It ain't a natural deposit."

"Then what is it?"

"A shrine."


	12. Chapter 12

**I know it won't actually be Monday for another two hours, but as I'm actually going to have a lot of work to do tomorrow, I thought it best to post it now :)**

**I think it only fair to warn you now, there are some rather intense parts in this chapter. Well, I thought they were intense, anyway. Maybe "icky" is a better adjective.**

**Anyway, as usual, recognizable characters belong to Hasbro. The rest is mine ;)**

* * *

><p>Chapter 12<p>

"A shrine?" Arcee demanded, horrified, "Are you sure, Rattrap?" The Draug scout nodded grimly. "I wish I weren't. There's somethin' else, too. Somethin' _worse_." Beady red optics shot over to Una, who clung to Blackarachnia, frightened. "Send the girl back to the Forest, 'Nia. She don't need to go anywhere near that mess." Against the femme's protests, Arcee quickly agreed. "_Trust_ me, you don't want to allow even the _possibility_ of Dark Energon exposure. I've seen what it can do to a human child." Her optics shuttered briefly, trying to block out memories of Rafael lying helpless, unresponsive in her arms as she had carried him back to base.

Reluctantly, the spider-femme released her hold on the young teen. "Go back to **T'o't** and your brother, darling," she murmured, "Tell them what we've found." The dark-haired girl nodded once and bolted for the entrance of the culvert. Blackarachnia turned back to Rattrap and "F'ar". "We have to go in there, don't we?" she asked with a grimace. F'ar shrugged, silver shoulder guards clashing musically. "We may not _have_ to go in, exactly, but if we want to get to the surface, we'll have to pass very near to it. We may as well find out who built the shrine and why." Being relatively small, as Cybertronians went, all three were able to squeeze through the hole with minor difficulty.

On the other side of the wall was a room four yards wide and seven yards long. At the bottom of a low pit in the center was a charred and blackened brazier beside a rusted grate, through which came the evil amaranthine glow of the Blood of Unicron. Crude likenesses of the Unmaker carved of obsidian squatted around the edges of the room: ugly, grimacing idols. The Draug femme's golden helm swiveled back and forth, mouth agape in astonishment. "By all that is holy," Rattrap gasped as he stood beside her. "I've always known there was a penchant for wickedness in the hearts of humanity, but _this_? This is _sick_!" Steeling herself against the waves of oppression rising out of the pit, Blackarachnia inched forward and peered down.

With a sharp cry, she reeled back. "We have to warn Ar," she looked upwards at the ceiling, finding a patch of stone that had weakened over the years. "And we've got to get those kids out of here!" If F'ar or Rattrap had been brave enough to look down the fire grate as Blackarachnia had, they would have seen a long shaft cluttered with bones. Some of animals, some of men, and some so very small that they did not bear thinking about. The Draug femme shot a strand of web up to the stone and tugged. "Here," she grunted, "Help me! We'll go straight up through the tower!" Arcee took hold of the line behind the other and with a mighty pull, they brought two thick blocks of stone tumbling down.

Arcee climbed through first, optics narrowed and scanning. Her gaze fell on two guards at the end of the hall wearing violet stars on their arms. The man gaped and dove for his comm. "Anta in the castle! I repeat, red alert, Anta are in the castle!" he cried. The alarm was cut off abruptly as the woman beside him slammed her rifle butt into his stomach, dropping him. She raised her visor and nodded to the Anta. "North walltops, that way." she pointed towards a flight of stairs. "I'll tell the others to start a riot in the square." Rattrap snorted as he eased his way out of the hole. "Smart move, Lioness." The woman smiled and pushed back the lapel of her coat, revealing an amber pin shaped like a fish. "We've been waiting for this chance for a _long_ time, ma'am," she said to Arcee.

Arcee transformed, taking the shape of an armored bike - more Cybertronian than Earth design. "Get on," she ordered, and the guard hastened to obey. As the Autobot and her companions charged up the stairs, she addressed the human in a softer tone. "It never should have gotten to this point. We should've known something was up and come to check on you all earlier. I'm sorry." The grip on the handlebars tightened and loosened in an approximation of a shrug. "It wasn't _your_ fault," she said kindly, "We didn't have any Speakers to warn you. _We're_ the ones who let things get out of control, not you." The motorcycle skidded to a halt in an upper hall, and the guard hopped off. "Doesn't matter," Arcee insisted as she switched back to her bipedal form, "We should've sensed something was wrong." She shook her helm. "Tell the Fishermen to make as much noise as they can, but to get the civilians away from the castle. Far away."

* * *

><p>Adelaide Tulle's mind was racing. There was a host of Anta at their doorstep, hell-bent on reclaiming their Speakers, and the brats' parents were already halfway up the steps. For five unarmed civilians, they were certainly taking a toll on her personal guard. June slammed a fist into the side of a soldier's head and yanked her gun away. "Tulle!" she hollered, "Touch my son and you'll pay in <em>blood<em>!" There were cheers from the crowd that had gathered in the streets. From a balcony, Magistrate Xiaojian looked out and began chanting, "Free the Three!" It was quickly taken up by the rabble, and it rose to a roar. "_Free the Three! Free the Three!"_ The Anta king looked undeniably pleased at this development.

The smallest Speaker still perched precariously on the balustrade, one tiny hand outstretched as if he could touch Ar through the shield. For a moment, Tulle was sorry that the barrier was up. A fall from that height would be fatal. Then again, she realized, Ar stood close enough that he would have easily caught the boy. As the protestors began to overwhelm her forces, Adelaide saw her dreams of immortality and power begin to crumble before her very eyes. The Sleeping One still needed three more deaths before he could even slightly awaken. She had failed. But Head Magistrate Tulle was nothing if not determined. They still had a barrier, did they not? The Anta could not stop her if she moved quicker than the mob. Drawing a serrated blade from her sleeve, she stepped toward the eldest boy, who still stood with his back to her, blocking her path to the youngest.

"Jack! Look out!" June shouted from below. The boy whirled about, and his eyes widened when he saw the knife. "**_T'o't_**!" he cried as he threw forward his hands to block the weapon. If Optimus had been angry before, now he was furious. "Bring the barrier _down_!" he thundered, "Shatter it if you must! _No one_ dies today." In the streets, members of the Fishermen Organization flooded the gatehouses and guard towers, shutting down the controls for the shield even as Autobots battered away at it. In a half-mad panic, Tulle screeched to her followers, "Open fire! Kill them all!" Pulling away from her failed attack on Jack, Tulle darted down the stairs, stopping only to plunge the knife into the unprotected back of one of her own men. "_One_," she counted breathlessly, dodging the falling body and slashing the throat of one of the rioters, "_Two_!" Then her eyes locked onto Frederica's on the crowded stairs, and her gaze suffused in hate. "_Three_," she growled.

Seeing her intent, Miko vaulted over the railing and landed between the two women. "Not on my watch," she spat, raising her fists. She countered the older woman's wild jabs without too much difficulty at first, but Tulle was growing desperate, and therefore more dangerous. A lucky hit caught Miko a glancing blow on the shoulder, and when the girl dropped back a step to regroup, Adelaide pressed the advantage. Drawing back her hand, she prepared to throw the blade. "_No_!" There was a blur of movement, and then Mr. Leander was there, shielding his adopted daughter. "Dad?" Miko whispered as the man staggered back, clutching the hilt protruding from his stomach. "Three! All three!" Tulle exulted, sweating and gasping. Miko caught Leander as he fell and from behind her there was an animalistic scream as Mrs. Leander threw herself at her husband's killer.

The sharp pop and rattle of gunfire sounded, and the People of the Lion began to drop. In the surge, Raf looked up and his eyes widened. '**Incoming**!' he mentally shouted to any who would hear him. Jack looked up as well, then let out a piercing whistle. "Clear the walltop!" he yelled, waving his arms, "Everybody down!" The throng was already beginning to scatter, dragging their dead and wounded to the shelter of nearby buildings. Looking over the edge of the wall, Jack saw a familiar silver-blue helm appear from a lower door in the Echelon building, accompanied by two unfamiliar Cybertronians. It was time to go, but with the city guard taking pot shots at the protestors, Jack felt torn. With the barrier down, there was nothing left to stop the Anta..._all_ the Anta.

Hearing the approaching thrum of engines, Optimus snatched Rafael from the balustrade and cradled him to his spark. "_Jack_!" he called sharply, as he reached out with his other hand. The young man's eyes darted between the huge Autobot and the deadly mayhem below. "I gotta get Miko!" he blurted, "Be right back!" Struggling, Jack fought his way down the narrow stairs, choked with bodies living and dead, and ducked under the line of riot shields that Sentry Fowler and his men had set up in an attempt to protect the civilians. **"K'anis!"** Jack slipped on the stones, slick with blood, and tried not to see the horror around him. _Human energon, Jack, that's all it is, _he tried to tell himself.

Miko knelt with a rifle in her grip, providing cover fire for the impromptu medic station June had set up. "What's the count, **Y'ats'a**?" she asked grimly. "Wha- the count?" Jack stared blankly at her. "The death count," Miko clarified. "How many dead?" The older teen blew out a breath and ran a bruised hand through hair still matted with dried blood. "Don't know. Fifteen. Twenty, maybe. Doesn't matter right now: we have to get everyone to shelter." He pointed towards the sky over the Forest, where three dark blurs were beginning to take shape. **'Optimus has Raf,'** he added, fluidly switching to Cybertronian,** 'I saw Arcee, I'm gonna make my way towards her. Grab whoever you can and get to the woods before those Seekers get to the wall.' **

He turned to his mother and kissed her forehead. "You're gonna have to run, Mom. You'll be safer in the Forest." June began to protest, but Miko reached over and squeezed her hand. "Forget everything they ever told you and run. It's gonna be okay." Pressing her lips together a moment, June bowed her head. "Okay," she said softly. Then her eyes hardened. "Sierra, Frederica, help me move the wounded. We're evacuating Jasper." Above them, the distant drone grew louder and the sky-shadows solidified into two small, sleek craft flanking one, massive disc-like shape. Jack's eyes widened. "Oh _scrap_! Megatron!" he hissed. "Gotta go, Mom!" He stood quickly and darted across the near-empty square to meet Arcee. "Arcee! We've got 'Cons on the way!" he skidded to a halt beside her.

She made a curt nod and signaled the black and gold femme. "Shepherd them out." Blackarachnia and Rattrap moved quickly, hands outstretched before them. "Come come come!" Blackarachnia clucked to the frightened people of Jasper. "This way, little ones, quickly!" They fled as the roar of the approaching enemy drowned out the panic of the crowd. Arcee knelt for a second, servos on Jack's shoulders. "Where's Tulle?" she demanded. "I- I don't know," he stammered, "She must've slipped away while the guards were firing on everyone." Arcee cursed under her breath and gathered her partner into her arms. "The timelines are converging, Jack. We have to get everyone together, _now_!"

The guards screamed and threw themselves off the wall left and right as Kaivolkalma and Yamatinnu strafed the walkways and walltops, cutting down the purple-garbed soldiers like stalks before the scythe. "Tear down the walls!" Kerythcor commanded. Gracefully, he pulled up and rolled left, avoiding a laser blast. "Don't you dare, cowards!" Bulkhead roared, firing repeatedly. Draug poured from the trees in the forms of beasts, snapping and snarling. **'Form up! Protect the humans!'** Alkare directed, gesturing with his Hyperflux cannon. The Cybertronians formed two lines, a channel between them, and shielded the fleeing survivors of Jasper with their own frames.

"Master, the Draug have thrown their lot in with the Raa," Yamatinnu rasped. His bright wings flashed in the sun as he transformed. "Do we attack?" His answer was a harsh negative. "Our quarrel is not with them. Find the blight. Root it out!" Far below, the ground began to shake as an unnatural light spread like a sickness from the halls of the Echelon building. Outside the walls, Optimus's optics narrowed. "Bumblebee! Take him," he growled, passing Rafael to the scout. The yellow mech squealed joyfully, taking a moment to press his forehead to his charge's. **'Welcome back, Ats'ka!' **he crowed.** 'Come on, lets get out of here!'**

* * *

><p>Limping, bruised, Tulle scrambled down into the dark chamber. Gouts of liquified Dark Energon oozed <em>up<em> the walls, seeping into every crack and seam. From the grate in the pit, shards of bone flew upward with a violent upheaval of a kind of solidified light, forming a hideous face. A voice, old and foul filled the air like fumes. _**"WHO DISTURBS MY SLUMBER?" **_it asked in a guttural tone. With a yelp, Tulle threw herself down before the pit, trembling. "Only I, mighty Unicron," she squeaked, "One who wishes you a chance for revenge upon the house of Prime!" Dark vapors swirled about the stale air, forming a single, evil eye.

**_"DISGUSTING CREATURE! WHAT NEED HAVE I OF YOUR HELP?"_** Violet smoke poured out of the pit, into Adelaide's ears, her nose, her eyes. Choking, gasping for air that was not poisoned, the magistrate gurgled, "Y-you are w-weak yet, m-my lord! I can o-o-offer you the b-blood of innocents- of the whole of J-jasper!" Her eyes rolled back in her skull, overshadowed by a purple glow as a blackened froth poured out of her mouth from her corrupted lungs_**. "I KNOW YOUR KIND. SELFISH, FRACTIOUS FIDGETS OF FLESH! YOU DO NOTHING FOR NOTHING: WHAT IS IT YOU WANT IN RETURN, WORM?"**_ The voice emanated from both the pit and Tulle's ruined throat, a slippery coldness filling her blood and wrapping around her heart.

Weakly, she managed one word. "I-im-m-mor-t-tal-i-ty!" And Unicron laughed. _**"YOU WISH FOR IMMORTALITY? THEN YOU MAY LIVE. YOU WILL BECOME PART OF MY LIFE FORCE!" **_The coldness spread, breaking, ruining, melting. Flesh curdled and fell away from bones, blood a sluggish black as Tulle was consumed. It was slow, clumsy, for the Sleeper had not the strength to fully awaken. There were no vocal cords left, no voice with which to scream, and diseased, unspeakable things dropped to the floor, squelching. And then it was over, and the bones of Adelaide Tulle rolled across the floor, dropping into the pit to join all her former victims.

Head Magistrate Tulle was dead.


	13. Chapter 13

**We are drawing near to the conclusion of the Alternate Timeline, but the story isn't quite over yet!**

**Welcome to another Monday, by the way. For those of you still in school, take courage! The year is almost up!**

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><p>Chapter 13<p>

Flames rose from the wreckage of Jasper, as though a dragon had laid waste to the city. The dead lay where they had fallen, left behind by their escaped friends and family. Kerythcor opened fire on the base of the Echelon building, snarling. The poison of Unicron would spread, blighting the land and killing the animals for hundreds of miles. With resources scarce, the People of the Falcon would starve, and Kerythcor had become too accustomed to their adoration to allow that to happen. Yamatinnu had apparently decided to be useful for once, and he too began to fire upon the castle, deadly missiles striking the supports where wood joined stone.

As the tower began to crumble and collapse, Kerythcor briefly wondered whether there might've been any humans inside it who had refused to flee the city. Not that it would have changed anything: they were _Ar's_ charges, not _his_. The rubble choked out the spreading tendrils of darkness, but it was only a temporary solution. "Clear the stones away!" he cried, projecting his voice so that Draug, Raa, and human alike could all hear him. "Expose it to sunlight before it can regroup!" This seemed to resonate with the others, and at a sharp huff from a massive gorilla, a great white lion bounded out to meet them, followed by Halya, Alkare, and Tyaro. The Peace Chieftain and the War Chieftain of the Draug had agreed: Thoron Anta or not, Kerythcor was right. The blight had to be stopped.

The humans who had, for so long, lived above the dormant demon looked back, pausing in their flight. Only the young children seemed to have the presence of mind to keep running. "Keep going!" Jack shouted, rolling by on Arcee. "There's a clearing about five minutes into the woods. Wait there!" The motorcycle swerved to maneuver around a tiger standing guard. "Miko! Get on!" she snapped. "We have about an hour before Event Convergence!" Behind them, a fell voice rose in a screech, dark words hidden in the pained cry. The ground shook, the wind howled, and the seventeen humans who had not yet taken shelter in the trees dropped, covering their heads.

There was a hoarse shout and a heavy impact, and then silence. Taking no chances, the Draug scooped up the humans and retreated into the tree line. Bulkhead met them within. "We need you to take care of 'em," he said, nodding to the Draug Anta's Peace Chieftain. "Just for a few hours." The gorilla nodded and led the procession of refugees west. Lio stopped beside the Wrecker as he joined them**. 'The Thoron have an optic on your Speakers, Andram. I hope you know what you're doing.'**

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><p>Sunlight fell through the clouds, shining on the rubble of the Echelon building and the surrounding town. Tendrils of slimy purple hissed and smoked as the UV rays touched them, and the corruption oozed back into the ground. For a little while, all was quiet. In the Forest, a tense silence reigned over the ring of stumps as the three Thoron Anta landed. Optimus moved to stand in front of the Autobots and the children, sword held loosely in one hand. His body language sent an unmistakable message: <em>these are my people. Stand down. <em>Kerythcor glanced at the Prime, then down at the young humans at his pedes. He smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Always so noble, brother!" He laughed as he took a step forward and spread his hands expressively.

"When a Speaker comes online, that is cause for joy among the clans. But when _three_ are marked in the same generation of the same town I intended to _conquer_?" A predatory smirk accompanied the low, raspy chuckle. "Now _that_ smacks of destiny!" Halya tensed behind Alkare, servos clenched. "Back off!" he snarled. Yamatinnu snorted dryly. "Oh spare us your aggression, guardsmech! None of the younglings have clan marks, which means that you have no claim upon them!" The thin Seeker crouched, peering around the sentinel Autobots to see the human Speakers.

"They can't make you serve them, little ones. There is no greater shame than to force a Speaker into a clan." Jack clenched his fists and glared up at the Decepticons, and Miko stepped backwards to lean possessively against Bulkhead's pede. Raf made an uncomfortable noise and scrambled away from the sneering visage, retreating behind a moss-stained leg. Ratchet started to reach down to comfort the boy, but was interrupted by a long, electronic shriek. "_Speaker-chiiiiiiiick!" _A blur of steel flashed past the mechs and bowled the smallest boy over before anyone could stop it. Raf attempted to squirm away, but clawed pedes wrapped around his middle as sharp beak began combing through tangled hair.

"Poor sparkling! Lazerbeak was worried! Naughty chick to frighten Lazerbeak so! Nasty nest-robbers all gone now, Lazerbeak promise." the deployer cooed lovingly. "Get off him!" Ratchet growled, trying to pull them apart. "Noooo! _My_ chick! Mine!" Lazerbeak wailed, "Master _tell_ Autobot! Sparkling mine!" Optimus tightened his grip on the Star Saber and glared. "Starscream is correct. The children bear no clan marks. To bind oneself to _any_ faction, especially for one not fully grown, is not a decision to be taken lightly." All helms tipped down as Jack piped up, "W-well, if we have to take "clan marks", you don't have to ask me who I'm with. I- I mean, I can't speak for the others, but I choose the Autobots."

"Me too!" Miko declared proudly, followed by a muffled, "Uh-huh!" from Raf. Lazerbeak, of course, simply decided that "Speaker-chick" must be speaking out of trauma, and was therefore in dire need of cuddles. Optimus frowned softly and bent slightly to address the trio. "We will discuss this when you are of age," he said firmly. Miko blew out a sigh, sending her bangs upward. "**Aaroh, T'o't**," she grumbled. Kerythcor raised an eyebrow. "So _that_ is how it is," he murmured. "You have conditioned them?" With a snarl, Arcee drew her blades and drew level with her leader. "You think we _manipulated_ them?!"

"Arcee, enough." Optimus held up a hand. "We do not have the time to argue." Then he leveled a stern glare at the silver mech opposite him. "Freedom is the right of _all_ sentient beings, Megatron. You know better than most that I would not manipulate another." Blue optics narrowed. "What if it had been one of _your_ people? Would you allow a child to choose a permanent faction based on limited experience?" For a moment, it seemed as though Megatron would disregard all common sense and instincts of self-preservation and make a grab for one of the children. But then his proud smirk became something more rueful. "I would expect any subject of mine to remain with those who had taught them to Speak. Loyalty is a quality to be prized among youth."

"All the same," he gestured to Rafael, "Your Prime speaks the truth. It is too great a decision to make in haste." Red optics glowed in a fierce mixture of pride and an odd measure of goodwill. "Do not rush to judgment just yet, little ones. You may find yourself changing your mind someday!" Then he turned back to Optimus and his gaze hardened. The cruel tyrant they were accustomed to began to show himself through the harsh being's bearing once more. "One of yours tore the arm off our gestalt. One of the members perished as a result, as did fourteen of my Raptors. Do you contest the occurrence?" Optimus stood immovable and raised his helm defiantly. "Your gestalt and your Raptors initiated an unprovoked attack upon my city, leading to the deaths of six guards, the kidnapping and _attempted murder _of our children, and the events of today. Do you deny your involvement?"

"Oh of _course_!" Starscream spat, "It's always _our_ fault!" Megatron cut him off with an impatient gesture. "It was not one of _my_ subjects that attempted to bring up Unicron. I am guilty of _nothing_! I claim your city as recompense for the lives lost." Three of the Autobots bristled indignantly at this, and Tyaro opened his mouth to retort, but Optimus held up one hand in a stern gesture for silence. "And yet the blame still falls upon _you_ for last night's attack. Take what is left of Jasper if you will it, but if you wish to avoid a blood feud, you will care for its people as if they were your own. If _any_ harm befalls them, I will know." The warlord considered this, studying his brother's impassive faceplates.

It was very unlike "Ar", the so-called king of the "Anta" to back down about anything where he was involved. "Kerythcor" could only guess at one of two reasons for the Prime so readily ceding control of the city and its people. His first thought had been that Optimus had feared that he would try to take the three Speakers as blood-payment, as he seemed to be unusually attached to them. He'd seen the looks that passed between the red mech and the human children: they were gentle, concerned- he might even have said affectionate. But then, Optimus was never the kind to put his own wishes before the well being of others. That left his second theory: that something else was coming and his brother genuinely believed that the people were safer with him.

And that was not a comforting thought.

At last he spoke, clasping his servos behind his back and nodding stiffly. "Your terms are reasonable, Optimus Prime. I accept." Optimus seemed to relax and nodded. "So be it. They are in the care of the Draug Anta at present. Be mindful of the way you speak to them, brother. They are independent beings, and highly capable of defending themselves if need be." Starscream seemed to take offense to this, his wings held high in indignation. "The People of the Falcon are numerous, prosperous, and multiplying! We _know_ how to take care of humans, thank-you-very-much!" He didn't seem to notice the pointed look that passed between Fallaner and Andram. Carefully, the Wrecker reached down and scooped the girl up into one wide palm, shielding her from something with his other hand.

Taking a cue from him, the femme crouched beside the eldest Speaker and wrapped both arms around him, pulling the boy close to her chassis. The healer took advantage of the fact that everyone else was paying attention to the negotiations and hurriedly pulled Lazerbeak away from Rafael, closing one huge fist around the child and cutting off the furious deployer's view of him. Her outraged scream of protest effectively ended the meeting. "No no no! Wicked bot! Wicked!" She scratched and pecked at Ratchet, but he merely shut his optics and curled his torso over his closed hands. "Give Lazerbeak sparkling! Babyyyy! Lazerbeak save you, no be scared!"

Noting that all three children were in physical contact with Autobots, Optimus sheathed the Star Saber and stepped back to clamp one hand down on Bumblebee's shoulder. "It is time," he said softly, helm tipped up to the sky. Autobots, humans, and Decepticons alike looked up in surprise and awe. Like a slate being wiped clean, a curtain of soft red was being drawn across the world. "Optimus!" Megatron hissed, "What is happening?!" The Prime glanced back at him with something almost like sadness in his wise optics. "Event Comvergence. The timeline was altered, and it is cleansing itself." Hastily, Soundwave called Lazerbeak back and clasped the distraught cassette to his chestplates. "What will become of this world?" Starscream asked in dread. "I do not know for certain," Optimus answered. "It may be that all of this will cease to exist. Or, the mist will pass and we five, with the children, will have no memories of the past two years." All turned to watch the vanishing wall as it drew closer, and no one heard Rafael whisper, "**T'o't**...it doesn't look right."


	14. Chapter 14

**Here is this week's update! Thank you to everyone who's read and reviewed! After this chapter, there are about three more chapters before the end. **

**On another note: last week of school is hectic! **

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><p>Chapter 14<p>

Those gathered in the Forest braced themselves as the strange wall of tangible red washed over them. For some, it brushed past as gentle as a mother's kiss. For others, it was a gale-force wind. The Autobots in the glen struggled to maintain their footing as their world vanished into a scarlet curtain. Then, as quickly as it had come, it passed, drawing away and leaving the world unchanged. F'ar gasped with relief and fell forward, releasing the boy in her arms to brace herself on the ground. Tyaro moved forward to catch Andram before he fell, and with a burst of speed, Halya did the same for Iirt. Fallaner had never been in any danger of falling, for the moment the Convergence had come to them, he'd seated himself on his customary stump with Alkare standing as a bulwark behind him.

Ar's leg joints creaked alarmingly, then gave out altogether. Before Alkare could move, Kerythcor was there, bearing up the weight of the silver and scarlet mech with little difficulty. "Easy, brother. Easy," he rasped in an almost soothing tone. The optics that rose to meet his showed no sign that he understood what was happening. Since they all still existed, Kerythcor suspected that Optimus's second theory had come to pass, and that the five and their Speakers had lost their memories. His suspicions were confirmed by the distrustful voice in which Ar addressed him. "By what right do you trespass in the Raa's Forest, and on what errand have you left the wastes, Kerythcor?"

It crossed Megatron's mind that there lay before him a turn of the tide which, taken at the flood, would lead on to fortune. If his brother remembered nothing of the last two years, it would hardly be any trouble at all to claim the land of Jasper for his people _and_ claim the three Speakers. He dismissed the second idea out of hand, for the children had already made their position clear, even if they would not remember now. Kerythcor was cunning, but not wholly without honor. "Your Second's memory banks will be able to inform you of any events that may have...slipped your mind," he said aloud, rather dryly. "The shorter version, if the tale were told, would be to say that you are experiencing the side effects of a Unicronian-level singularity fallout."

Ar's optics widened slightly. "Then you spoke the truth about sensing a blight at the last Meeting of the Four Clans?" he asked cautiously. Behind him, Alkare coughed politely. "Ar, if I may comment?" A simple nod granted the commander permission and he took it. "Kerythcor does, indeed, speak truthfully. It is our belief that the head magistrate of Jasper - whom we have long suspected to be corrupt - was sacrificing human beings to the foul creature in an attempt to strengthen it. She intended these young Speakers to be Unicron's next victims." This was news both to the Thoron Anta and the ones who had lost their memories. "Speakers?!" Fallaner opened his hands and blinked, surprised by an equally startled boy-child.

"Great Allspark!" he cried, "Now where have _you_ come from?" In answer, the tiny organic simply stared, open mouthed, and whispered, "Anta! Real, live Anta!" Helpfully, Alkare decided to share some of the strange information regarding the trio that he had gathered over the last two years. "That one answers to the designation of Rafael, and the female is called Mikoto or Miko. The elder one is known as Jack, or sometimes Jackson - but my records indicate that this secondary designation is reserved for Ar's use." Ar blinked and pulled free of Kerythcor's steadying grip. "My use? Why would I have a designated name set aside for the boy? I do not think that we are acquainted."

Halya saw an opportunistic look flit across Yamatinnu's optics and knew that the Seeker intended to take advantage of the memory lapse. Hurriedly, the guardsmech burst out, "You know him! You know_ all_ of them, actually. You five made us search for them every full moon for two years, waiting for them to "wake up" or something like that. They were calling you "T'o't." The three humans gasped at the revelation that not only had titans been seeking them, but that they had evidently been accustomed to using a_ highly_ intimate form of address with their king! Shyly, Miko pushed aside her bangs and peeped up at Ar from her place in Andram's hand.** 'Hello, little one,'** he said softly. A warm smile slowly spread across otherwise stoic faceplates.

**'Hello to you too, sir,'** the girl gulped, then squeaked with surprise to hear Cybertronian words leaving her mouth. Miko clapped her hands and laughed. "My sisters will be so jealous!" she cried. Kaivolkalma twitched suddenly and activated his short-range telepathy, broadcasting a private message to his master. Kerythcor listened, and sent back a glyph of praise and approval. It was nearly perfect: if the plan went as hoped, Kerythcor would have access to the Speakers and the Jasper territory without starting a blood feud. The best part was that the ceremony involved was so private that the Second would not know if it had taken place or not.

"Brother," he spoke in his calmest tones, "You will not remember it now, but there had been a contract discussed between you and I, regarding a temporary truce and merger between the People of the Lion and the People of the Falcon. It was never finalized, as the blight grew stronger and I resorted to drastic measures to protect my people, but if you are still willing, there are more than enough witnesses to form the pact." F'ar scowled and sat up on her knees, and the elder Speaker supported her arm with awe and concern alight in his stormy eyes. "What pact would Ar ever sign with _you_?!" the femme asked sharply. This would be the part that required guile. Kerythcor had in mind to convince the Raa that they had agreed to betroth one of the Speakers to one of his Fledglings, but he now had to think of which Speaker would act as the bridge between their factions.

He considered the elder boy, who had an air of gravity and wariness about him that promised a good warrior one day. However, something about this "Jack" reminded him a little too much of Ar, making the warlord uncomfortable. His remaining choice was made for him when Lazerbeak detached herself from Soundwave's chest and made a beeline for the youngest. "Sparkling okay!" she squealed, once again bowling him over and attempting to groom him. Raf flailed his short arms, spitting and gagging in an attempt to remove metallic feathers from his mouth. "Blecch!" he coughed. "Ooh, speaker-chick got a sticky in throat? Lazerbeak get it out!" the deployer declared, eager to help. "Lazerbeak make baby spit it out!" Of course, her idea of "helping" was to run her smallest claws up and down the human child's ribs and stomach. Raf shrieked and tried to squirm away. "No tickling! No tickling!" he laughed, attempting to avoid the talons in vain.

"Oooh, sparkling _ticklish_? Just like Fledglings! Ah-_ha_!" Lazerbeak redoubled her efforts and the hollow echoed with giggles so infectious that even Alkare cracked a smile. "That," said Miko flatly, "Is adorable." Kerythcor smirked as it occurred to him that his own Speaker had a young daughter close to the one called Rafael's age. Or perhaps not. He'd never been adept at calculating the life cycle of humans. Quietly, he murmured to Yamatinnu, "Fly back to the crèches in the wastes and find Speaker Greene's girl. Bring her back here immediately." The Seeker winced slightly. "Ah...of...of course, my lord." He grimaced as he took off, not looking forward to enduring an hour's flight with Fledgling Greene yammering away about science.

Fallaner stood and carefully handed Lazerbeak and Rafael to Iirt before crossing his mossy arms and blinking mildly at Kerythcor. "I know the child you speak of. I was called upon to tend her crèche during the last cholera outbreak. A brilliant - if a bit over enthusiastic - youngling. She is a credit to your Speaker." Which was all merest formality, of course. What was really being said was something more like, _"Great heavens above, man, you should have thought of this years ago!"_ Far below, Jack chuckled at the veiled agreement and squinted up at the smaller boy. "Sounds like you'd like her, Raf!" he called. The youngest Esquivel flushed scarlet.** 'Ja-ack!**' he whined, unconsciously slipping into Cybertronian,** 'Don't tell them that! I'm too young to get married!'**

Ar frowned and locked his servos behind his back. "The wishes of their primary caretakers_ must_ be taken into account, Kerythcor. Betrothal is not a word to toss around blithely." There was an awkward pause as Kaivolkalma made an urgent gesture in the direction of the ruins of Jasper and transferred a file to the enemy leader. Noble faceplates creased in a look of mingled sorrow and concern. "I see." He cast a glance back at the three children, slightly unsure of what to do. Until he had time to review the memories Alkare was sending him, he had no way of knowing how extensive the damage to his people had been, nor how well he was supposed to know these little Speakers, but one thing was clear. They had each lost at least one caretaker, though they doubtless were ignorant of the the fact at the moment, and were oddly, instinctively comfortable around Cybertonians.

Mind made up, Ar met Kerythcor's gaze steadily. "Very well. In lieu of traditional arrangements, you may make the contract with me, and I shall stand as primary guardian until the child is of age." And the humans paled, for even with their limited knowledge of inter-faction politics, they knew there could only be one reason for an Anta standing as guardian in a betrothal contract. **'Poor little guy,'** Iirt hummed sadly. He brought his cupped hands close to his faceplate in a gesture of comfort, and Lazerbeak ceased preening Raf's hair. The deployer curled around a suddenly shaking form and chirruped sorrowfully. Miko turned to look up at Andram - enthusiasm at being held by what had always been her favorite Anta dimmed somewhat - and whispered, "Is...is my family okay?"

The Wrecker rubbed the back of his helm and sighed. "Aw, kid...I don't know. Soon as things get straightened out here, we'll go look for them, alright? Until then, we just need you three to sit tight, okay?" Something seemed to tug at his spark as the girl smiled weakly at him. "Sure, I can do that, Anta Andram." The broad jaw quirked upward in a gentle grin as a blunt servo carefully lifted her chin. "Ah, don't call me that! Makes me feel old. You're a Speaker now, kid. You call me Andram, I'll call you Miko." This time, Miko's smile was considerably brighter. "Okay!" she exclaimed. At that moment, Yamatinnu returned and transformed, holding a small girl between two servos. "Eeeww take it take it take it," he groaned shaking her slightly.

Kaivolkalma snatched the girl protectively and leveled a faceless glare at the Seeker. "Fledglings are "_who"s_, not _"it"s,"_ Kerythcor sighed in the weary tones of one who has so often repeated a lecture that it has ceased to have meaning. The tousled head of Francine Greene popped out of the spy's servos. "I'm okay!" the ten year old declared with a blinding grin. Lazerbeak's helm popped up at the familiar voice. "Explody Fledgling!" she crowed happily. The little girl laughed. "What's the word, Mama Bird?" Her smile fell a little as she took in the other large beings in the glen. "Umm... Lord Kerythcor? Are we okay?" It was a fair question to ask for a little girl who'd grown up on tales of the battles between the Raa Anta and the Thoron Anta.

"We are discussing your betrothal to one of the People of the Lion," he answered bluntly. The girl looked horrified at the idea (being that she was still of an age where boys were fun playmates, but kind of gross), but she said nothing. Even the youngest People of the Falcon knew better than to question the silver colossus. F'ar stood and arched her back until the struts popped. "Ow," she groaned and rotated her arms. "As nice as all this talk of peace is, I'm a little bothered by the fact that no one seems to be concerned that we just lost._ Two. Years._ worth of memories. What happened? Where did those memories go?"

"Where indeed?" Kerythcor turned his helm to the sky, a soft frown on his faceplates.

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><p>Optimus sat up with a groan, hand to his helm.<strong> 'Is everyone alright?'<strong> he asked. When he was met with only silence, he grew concerned. The Prime opened his optics and looked around, seeing nothing but a grassy expanse with the small shape of a town of some kind sitting on the horizon. The field had clearly never been tended, for the grass nearly covered his pedes when he stood upright. Optimus heard a sleepy coo and quickly knelt beside the dazed form of his scout.** 'On your feet, Bumblebee,'** he said gently, taking the youngling's arm.** 'Optimus? Where...where are we?'** Bumblebee asked, bewildered. He leaned against the comforting bulk of his commanding officer as a chill wind hissed through the grass, and dark clouds rolled low overhead. **'I do not know, Bumblebee,'** the older mech answered gravely,** 'But I cannot help feeling that we must locate the others quickly.'**


	15. Chapter 15

**Well, it's Monday once again!**

**This chapter should help explain (at least a little) what was going on in the last chapter. In case it doesn't, it's not spoiling anything to tell you all that at this point, the timeline snapped back into place, but the "Autobot" line and the "Raa Anta" line have separated into two alternate universes, no longer connected.**

**(only because I got too attached to Lazerbeak to obliviate her)**

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><p>Chapter 15<p>

Nothing was where it should have been. No other Autobots, no Raf or Jack or Miko. Not even the buildings looked right. Bumblebee looked around, and his doorwings trembled as a damp wind ghosted across the landscape. **'I'm cold,'** he mumbled. Optimus arched an eyebrow, but did not comment on the oddness of the statement**. 'Come on, Bumblebee,'** he beckoned to the scout as he began to make his way towards the small group of buildings. **'We need to find out where we are.' **Drooping, the weary youngling stumbled along after the Prime.** 'Aahroh, T'o't,' **he yawned. Internal fans kicked on as he realized what he'd said. Ahead of him, the larger mech made a sound that Bumblebee had come to recognize as a soft chuckle.** 'You have not called me that for a very long time, youngling.' **Optimus noted.

**'S-sorry,' **Bumblebee hummed, embarrassed. Now he knew why Raf had been so red-faced that one time he'd accidentally called Nurse Darby "Mom". A gentle smile was turned in his direction, and the Prime deliberately slowed his steps so that the younger mech could fall into step with him. **'Do not be.' **Optimus Prime was not the kind of mech to express sentiments often. In the natural timeline, he kept a tighter rein on his emotions, lending to a grave and serious appearance. Life was simpler that way. Still, in the privacy of his own processor, Optimus did not mind admitting that he'd missed hearing that particular honorific from his scout. It had been, overall, a rather sad day when Bumblebee had decided that he was too grown-up to call Optimus "**T'o't**" and Arcee "**Nene'**".

On closer inspection, there was no possible way to mistake the housing complexes for being from the present day. Low wooden huts, thatched with straw, dotted the land, some surrounded by low stone walls or split-log fences. **'This cannot be the North American continent!'** Optimus remarked with some surprise.** 'If memory serves, this particular style of architecture was more common on the island of Britain during the fifth century!' **The yellow Autobot beside him made a thoughtful buzzing noise.** 'Well, that probably accounts for the screaming villagers.' **Optimus looked around, slightly caught off guard. There were several groups of fair-skinned humans, mostly covered in dirt and wearing simple clothes.

"Giant!" a woman shrieked, pointing upward. Her husband dropped the antler he'd been carving into a comb and grabbed her wrist, towing her into their hut. Everyone scrambled for shelter, abandoning work on a high wall that stretched partway around the burgeoning village. "Please, we mean you no harm!" Optimus called out in English. It was close enough to the language the people were using that some of them stopped to stare suspiciously up at the Cybertronians. **'Anglo-Saxon, right?' **Bumblebee guessed, **'Maybe try Old English?' **The Prime nodded. "Naht faer," he attempted - knowing full well that he was probably butchering the local grammar.

Old English was not commonly spoken anymore, and he'd never seen fit to download the necessary lingual subroutines to translate it. By signs and what few words he could remember, Optimus attempted to make the villagers understand that he meant them no harm. It was slow going.** 'We may be here awhile,' **he admitted to Bumblebee. With a mournful squeal, the youngling flopped backwards in a highly drastic gesture, clasping one hand to his forehelm. Then, with a remarkably humanlike huff, he sat down in the grass and crossed his arms over his spark chamber. He didn't want to stay and negotiate with the locals! He wanted to find the rest of the team!

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><p>"Owwww!" Miko attempted to sit up, but she was still pinned gently, but firmly, between Bulkhead's hands. "Did anyone get the license of the truck that hit us?" The blunt servos surrounding her shifted, letting in stabbing bright sunlight. Miko groaned and covered her face. "Aagh! Cover it! Too bright!" she whined. Bulkhead chuckled apologetically. "Sorry, Miko. You okay?" The girl stretched and winced as several joints popped. "Yeah," she said after a noticeable hesitation. "You?" Bulkhead knew she was lying. Her eyes were focused on her hands, and she was visibly trying not to bite her lip. Bulkhead knew his girl better than anyone alive: he knew she would tell him what was wrong when she was ready. He wouldn't press her.<p>

"I'm peachy," he replied sarcastically. The giant rotated his helm, surveying their surroundings. "Guess we're the only ones..." he murmured. He hoped the others were at least on the same continent. The likelihood of Magnus sending them a Bridge was small, to say the least. He would probably focus on Prime first. Still, Bulkhead wasn't too worried. It wasn't the first time he and Miko had gotten separated from the pack, and he doubted it would be the last. At least they were outside, and not in a collapsed mine this time. "Hey," the girl in his hands spoke up suddenly, "Is that the ocean?" She peered over the wide servos and grinned at the shimmering expanse before her eyes. "Whoa!" Bulkhead fumbled with an uneasy grunt as he attempted to keep his young charge from scrambling out of his grip and tumbling to the ground.

"Take it easy, will ya? That's a long drop!" he scolded halfheartedly. "Eh, I've had worse," Miko bragged, brushing a hand over the bruise on her cheek, still a livid purple. "Yeah..." The Wrecker's voice had dropped into a register that was almost too low for human ears, but left an uncomfortable, half-frightened feeling in its wake. This seemed to remind Miko of whatever had been bothering her before, and the smile grew a little too wide, a little too bright. "If it weren't so dang cold, I'd hit the beach!" she crowed. "Aw, don't do that! What's the beach ever done to you?" her guardian teased, knowing full well that she was trying to distract herself.

A low, grating rumble rippled through the air, and despite herself, Miko burst out laughing. "Aw dude! When was the last time you refueled? You sound like a beast!" She didn't notice Bulkhead's optics widen, nor the imperceptible shift in posture as his spatial sensors began picking up another presence in the immediate area. "Uhh...Miko? That wasn't me." With a slightly exasperated sigh in unison, the two glanced around cautiously. A pair of baleful optics, glittering gold, glowered from the gloom of a low cave in the seaside cliffs. "Scrap!" Bulkhead blurted out, "Megatron's got _two_ of those things?!" It was indeed a Predacon, though not quite of the same shape as the creature that the Autobots had been dealing with recently.

Of a greenish gold hue, its chassis was long and lean, hugging the ground more like a serpent, though undoubtedly a dragon. Something caustic dripped from narrow jaws to sizzle on the pebbles below as it gazed at the mech and human with undisguised hunger. "O-kaaayy..." Bulkhead eyed the creature warily and began to back away. Miko's safety took priority here, and this time there was no Apex Armor to protect her from the beast. The broad soldier clenched his jaw, looking for a way to subdue the monster without putting his girl at risk. Then Miko snorted. "Y'know what? Scrap it. Just scrap it. Gimme a grenade, Bulk."

"What?! Why?" he asked suspiciously. His charge folded her thin arms across her chest and directed her words at the creature in the cave. "Yo! Smaug! Get the _heck_ out here!" Though in all likelihood it didn't understand a word she said, the dragon recognized the tiny creature's tone, and it was mad! "I shot a guy. _Killed_ him. Got beaten up in a jail cell, then saw half the city die horribly on my behalf, including my host-dad. I do _not_ need your _sorry_ tail making my day worse!" Grimacing, Bulkhead pulled the girl closer to his spark. "Easy Miko, it's okay." She whirled to stare at him in disbelief. "Okay?" she repeated, "Bulk, what part of **'I shot a guy'** did you not hear?!"

Ah. There it was. She felt guilty over her part in the chaos. Bulkhead wished that he could have been an orator like Optimus, or an optimist like Smokescreen, but he wasn't. He was just Bulkhead, and he didn't have the words to make it all alright again. He didn't even have the time to try, as Miko's infuriated speech had done the job: the Predacon was mad enough to leave its den. "We're gonna talk about this later," he promised. One hand drew back close to the hip, bringing Miko out of reach of the Predacon as wide pedes shifted in the gravel to angle half his body away from the threat. Bulkhead raised the other hand and unfolded his pulse cannon with a snap. He waited.

* * *

><p>Arcee stood and stretched with a groan. "Well, <em>that<em> could've gone better," she remarked. No longer hampered by protective arms, Jack brushed himself off and grinned up at the femme. "It could've gone a lot worse too." He noted- without any real surprise- that Arcee had gone back to looking the way she had when they'd first met. Blue optics, accented with pink, rolled down to focus on the young man. "Fair enough. How are you feeling, partner?" She knelt next to Jack, taking stock of his bloodied appearance for the first time. He shrugged. "I'll be sore for a while, and I think one of my ribs might be cracked, but I'll live." He grimaced, and quietly admitted that he might also have to deal with nightmares for a while.

"I've never seen so many people die all at once, Arcee. I know the final count was probably around twenty-two. There...there was a lot more blood than I would've thought." Jack muttered. He started to run his fingers through his hair, but stopped and winced as he grazed a cut on his scalp. Delicate servos came to rest on his shoulder. "I know. _Believe_ me, Jack, I know how you feel. Sometimes in wars, civilians get hurt. Sometimes they die. It _hurts_, and it's _horrible_ and _tragic_ when it happens, but you can't change it. All you can do is keep fighting so that no one else suffers the same fate." The words comforted Jack, but only slightly. Suddenly his eyes widened, and he pointed wordlessly over Arcee's shoulder.

"Hold there, giantess! Unhand that lad!" a boisterous voice declaimed.

"Scrap." Arcee and Jack said together.


	16. Chapter 16

**Happy Memorial Day! To everyone who has served, is serving, or will serve in the military, thank you. Seriously, thank you. You guys are my heroes.**

**This chapter is rather long, I know, but if I'd abbreviated it, it would've ended up kind of abrupt and choppy like the last chapter. (Sorry about that, by the way).**

**Also, my laptop officially gave up the ghost two days ago. Thankfully, most of my stuff was in online storage, but I had one document of cool story ideas and one plotting a reorganization of "Mirrors" that got locked up in it. (Apparently the user profile and the administrator profile got corrupted and the laptop says there aren't any save points for recovery. This is a lie, there was at least one.)**

**Anyway, on with the show!**

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><p>Chapter 16<p>

"Can you understand what they're saying?" Jack whispered to Arcee, discreetly nodding at the men on horseback. "I don't think it's English." The blue femme shrugged. "Well, it's definitely got a Germanic sound to it. I think it might be Old English. Naturally, Ratchet isn't here, so we don't have anybody to speak it!" She pursed her lips in comical irritation. "Still, if I walk the translation programs through English and German simultaneously, I might be able to work out what they say." Arcee turned slowly, still crouched, to face the men. She made certain to keep her hands where they could see them and smiled encouragingly. "Wes bu hal," she attempted slowly. With one hand, she tapped her chest, and grasped Jack's shoulder with the other. "Blidemod," she said, nodding, "_freond_."

The six men glanced at each other, faces unreadable behind crude metal masks. "You...understand me? Yes?" The one that seemed to be their leader spoke even slower, half in uncertainty, half to avoid mistake. "You...you will not... hurt the lad?" Well, Arcee reflected, it was nice to see that they were acting out of concern for a fellow human, even if the insinuation that she might harm Jack galled her _intensely_. "Yes, I understand you," she answered in her improvised mixture of English and German, "_No_ I won't hurt the boy, or any of you for that matter. To be honest with you, gentlemen, I was more concerned about _you_ posing a threat to _us._" The leader of the group spurred his horse forward a step and carefully removed his helmet.

Under the metallic cone was a ruddy-faced man with close-shorn hair that was more than made up for by his extensive beard. "My name is Kai," he said calmly, and for convenience's sake, Arcee merely broadcasted the translation to Jack's implanted chip. "What is your name, giantess, and why are you covered in armor if your intentions are peaceful?" Kai asked with a hint of suspicion in his gruff voice. "Oh boy," Jack ran a hand over the back of his neck. "How are we supposed to explain _this_?" They couldn't very well tell the men that the armor was part of her body, could they? He shifted awkwardly and looked up at his partner. Arcee held a hand out to the side, signaling him to let her speak for them.

"I go armed because my companion and I have only recently escaped a band of honorless warriors who waylaid the boy and attempted to kill him," she answered Kai smoothly. "So hurried was our flight that neither of us were aware of our surroundings nor how long we had run. I only know that we have escaped Jack's would-be murders." One of the other knights - for what else could the armored men be? - swung down off of his own horse and walked towards them. "That's quite a tale, I'd wager! Jack, eh? That is an unusual name. Is he from foreign parts?" He followed Kai's example and removed his helmet, revealing a younger man with a short, curly beard and twinkling brown eyes.

"Uh...yes. Offhand, I'd say yes," Jack answered, slightly amused by the fact that Arcee had to translate his English into the pseudo-Old English she was using. "Fascinating!" the younger knight - appearing to be in his mid-thirties - exclaimed. He poked at Jack's sweatshirt and tugged at his bangs. "That would account for his odd manner of accoutrements. You know, I've traveled quite a bit, but your friend here speaks in an accent unknown to me! Of course, so do you, milady, but you can at least articulate a semblance of our tongue." Shaking his head and grumbling, Kai pulled the other away from Jack and Arcee by the collar, backing his horse away. "Please, Sir Aglovale, control your curiosity!"

Jack raised an eyebrow as Arcee's translation sounded in his comm.** 'Aglovale? Kai? Arcee! I think these guys are- no way. It can't be.' **He hid a smile as Aglovale and Kai fell into a rather spirited debate over the merits of befriending bizarre strangers. Behind them, the other knights were quietly dismounting and approaching slowly, but without much fear.** 'What, Jack?' **Arcee privately messaged back,** 'Who are these guys?' **She pulled a hand away in irritation as one of the younger men tried to grab it in interest. "Hey! Hands to yourself, there, Lancelot!" she snapped in English. The men did not understand her, but seemed to recognize the name Lancelot, and reacted with expressions of disgust that matched her own**. 'Arcee,' **Jack managed in awe, **'I think they're the Knights of the Round Table!'**

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><p>.<p>

The road was long and twisted often, carrying the traveler this way and that. He had come across many unusual things in his long years of wandering, but the old man could say with the utmost certainty that this was one of the strangest sights he'd yet encountered. A young boy, just a child, really, in strange garb with odd glass ornaments upon his face. His hair stood upright as though he'd been struck by lightning, though this was no stranger than the creature upon whose hand the lad stood. It was certainly a giant, seemingly made entirely of metal, with very knowing eyes. The old man looked upon them and sensed a kindred spirit.

"Good morrow, gentlemen!" he called up to them, "Where are you bound?" Ratchet looked down at the bearded figure in confusion. "Anglo-Saxon?" he mused aloud, raising an eyebrow. Of all the Autobots, he was the only one who had thought to study the particular language, granting him a bit of an advantage in this strange new environment. **'Sounds like the language of Rohan, from Lord of the Rings!'** Raf sounded surprised.** 'I'm picking up about every other word.'** "We're not bound for anywhere in particular," the medic answered the man, "But we would certainly appreciate it if you could tell us where we are? Rafael and I are quite lost!" With a kindly smile, the elderly human seated himself on a small rock. "You are in Britain, my colossal acquaintance. Does this surprise you?"

"I...well, _yes_!" Ratchet spluttered, slightly out of countenance. "And who, might I ask, are you? You certainly don't seem surprised to see someone like me." At this, the old man chuckled, and it was a warm but strange sound. "No, not surprised at all, dear fellow. I've seen your kind before, many times since I was no bigger than your little friend there. Of course, this is only the second time I've seen one that stood on two legs and spoke like a man." And then Ratchet understood. The timeline had reset, as he had hypothesized, and it had flung the Autobots back to the point where the original breach had occurred. Now they had gone back in time in order to retrieve Gunner, to stop him from tampering with time. Ratchet shook his helm. "What a very complicated and redundant thing time travel is!" he grumbled.

Well, it seemed there was little else to be done, save for finding the rest of the team. Ratchet carefully set Rafael down and considered the situation. He could transform, making the search easier, but he suspected that the stranger had not seen a wheeled vehicle before, and he had no intention of further meddling with the past. They would have to walk. "My name is Ratchet," he said after a while, "and the boy is my apprentice, Rafael. He understands a little of your language, but does not speak it." The man stroked his beard thoughtfully and patted Raf on the head. "Charmed! He seems like a bright lad. You may call me Emrys. I fear I am as much an exile as you."

"_Emrys_?!" Raf piped up suddenly, adjusting his glasses. As Ratchet began to walk - slowly, to allow the humans to keep pace - the youngest Esquivel stared open-mouthed at their traveling companion. "Merlin?" He detected a slight tightening of the skin around Emrys's eyes when he spoke the second name. By the man's halting and reluctant tone, Raf guessed that he did not prefer to be called Merlin. **'He does not use that name anymore,' **Ratchet gruffly explained. **'He's saying something about treachery, and the king no longer knowing friend from foe.' **The impact of what had been said suddenly dawned on the Autobot medic, and his systems temporarily stalled in shock**. 'By the Allspark! Merlin wasn't fictional? Then this king he speaks of must be...' **"Arthur," Rafael finished aloud, awe radiating from his tone.

* * *

><p>.<p>

The angry Predacon hissed menacingly as it approached the Wrecker and the girl. Its long tail cracked like a whip, echoing in the confines of the cave. "Blast him, Bulk!" Miko growled. The green mech took quick stock of the situation. The dragon was moving slowly, stalking them, but was nearly all the way out of the cave. Given previous experiences, he was not confident that his cannons would do much damage to the beast. Still... He glanced up at the cave and an idea began to form in his processor. "On my signal, Miko, I want you to cover your head and hang on tight. Can you do that?" he asked.

Her bright smile and nod were betrayed somewhat by the trembling in her hands. "Sure, Bulk." A pang lanced through Bulkhead's spark, and he resolved that as soon as the Predacon had been dealt with, he would be sitting down for a long talk with his charge about what had happened in the other world. "On my mark," the Wrecker rumbled, leveling his cannon at the beast's head. Then, over the comm,** 'Now!' **He made as if to fire at the dragon, only to aim high and strike the mouth of the cave instead. Too late the green and gold monster realized his quarry's intentions. He had time for one dismayed screech before he was completely buried by the collapsing cave roof.

Bulkhead shielded Miko as a few stray boulders bounced off of his armor. They watched, apprehensive, to see whether the dragon would fight his way out. Minutes passed, tense and watchful, and the pile of rocks did not stir. Bulkhead retracted his cannon and relaxed, only to tense up again as a raucous cheer echoed around the seaside cliffs. "Umm...Bulkhead?" Miko peered over the edge of his hand and pushed her bangs out of her eyes. "We've got an audience." As if by magic, the pebbly ground around them suddenly hosted thirty of fourth raggedy humans, waving spears and farming implements in jubilation. Bulkhead stared.

"Uh...I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Miko."

* * *

><p>Bumblebee was <em>bored<em>.

While Optimus slowly - painstakingly - worked to communicate with the villagers in a mix of English and very poor Anglo-Saxon, the scout had flopped onto his back in the tall grass and muttered rebelliously to himself about wasting time. He tried to raise the others on the comm, but they each sent a glyph meaning they were too busy to answer. Well, at least that meant they were alive. He resigned himself to waiting and began cleaning his wrist-mounted particle decelerators, wishing Smokescreen was there to keep him company. Unfortunately, the young guard had not been part of the strike team caught in the time-explosion-thing, and thus had been "reset" along with everything else.

A group of about five men were speaking to Optimus, and the others were all holed up in their huts, frightened out of their wits. There wasn't much chance of making new friends here - a thought that _sorely_ disappointed the friendly scout - as what few children he had seen had either been dragged inside by parents or sent scurrying off to hide in stables or woodpiles. Bumblebee knew he was acting like a sparkling, but he grumbled musically and began knotting long strands of grass together. He twisted them round and round until they'd formed a ball. Beneath his battle mask, he smiled. Finally! Something to do!

Thus far Optimus had managed to convey to the men of the settlement that he was lost and looking for others of his kind. He had no doubt that he and the other Autobots had been deposited at Gunner's original destination, where the man was no doubt attempting to learn more about Predacons. He only hoped there was a way back to the present from here. A faint click and hum in the back of his processor signaled a waiting communication from Arcee.** 'Arcee, what is your status?' **he asked internally, keeping up an appearance of listening as a scrawny bearded man rambled on about something or other. Optimus caught the words cow and sword, but not much beyond that.** 'Jack and I are okay, Optimus,' **the femme replied. **'We made some...ah...new friends. Knights, as a matter of fact. As in Round Table.' **

This piqued the Prime's interest, for he was still an archivist at heart. **'I was given to believe that most human scholars agreed that the knights of the Round Table were fictional!' **he remarked. The response was accompanied by a slight interruption of glyphs for humor coming from Jack's comm. **'They're definitely not "storybook", but they're nice enough,' **Arcee explained. Optimus inferred by her phrasing that she could understand their speech and said so. **'It's a little tricky without Ratchet's help, but it's not so bad if you work out the parts that sound more German and then translate accordingly. Or, at least, that's what's been working for me.' **Curious, Optimus reset his internal translation programs for Germanic languages, and found that the skinny man had not been talking about cows after all.

He was talking about a raiding warband.

"...but perhaps this time _they_ will be forced to retreat!" he was saying to his companions, in a state of great excitement, "Perhaps the sight of this giant will drive them away, and they will not take any more of our sons and daughters as slaves!" Now that he had a better understanding of what they said, Optimus grew concerned. "Hold, please." He held up one hand and frowned. "_Who_ has taken your children as slaves?" Another man, considerably older, cautiously informed Optimus that there was a group of men led by a certain Ysbaddaden who did not recognize the authority of the local king. His men came down from the hills once or twice a year and snatched women and children to be traded to other bands and kingdoms for items they could not make themselves.

Optimus was troubled by this. "Have you no way to resist the forces of Ysbaddaden?" he asked gently. They shook their tousled heads. "We know how to defend ourselves from beasts and thieves, but the warband of Ysbaddaden is large and well-trained, with weapons of iron." the elder replied. "We cannot stand against them." On further inspection, it was clear that the rough axes and hide shields wouldn't stand up to trained soldiers. After a hastened and silent council with his medic - through which he learned that Ratchet and Rafael had landed within a day's march of them - Optimus made his decision. "Elder Faran, if those in authority over this settlement are willing, I can teach your people to defend themselves, to fight." Faran, Edwyn, Lange, Lucan and Kendryek all glanced at each other, unsure of whether to be relieved or more frightened than before.

An armored giant turning up on your doorstep was not a thing to be taken lightly, and any offer it made was to be taken with a grain of salt. Giants are, after all, thoroughly unpredictable things. Better to err on the side of caution than to offend one! On the other hand, they were helpless before the men of Ysbaddaden, and this mighty metal man could turn the tide in their favor. Contemplation was temporarily set aside when Lange began to chuckle, smile hidden behind his tangled whiskers. "Your child grows fretful, Giant," he laughed, pointing behind Optimus. "My what?" The Prime turned, confused, and found Bumblebee standing on his hands with his makeshift lobbing ball balanced on one pede. **'Look at me! I'm Luke Skywalker!' **he chirped. Optimus sighed and shook his helm.** 'Oh Bumblebee...'**

* * *

><p>.<p>

"Now, if I've got this right, there are more of your kind, yes? And two more children dressed as strangely as this one?" Beldvyr asked the blue woman-like creature. He crouched next to her companion, wiping dried blood from the boy's face. Jack winced and pushed the knight's hand away, but Beldvyr was stubborn. "Hold _still_ lad," he said sternly, though he knew the stranger could not speak his tongue. "You'll just make it worse!" Arcee smirked lightly and ruffled Jack's hair. "He always dodges the medic -er, _healer_- he learned that from me, I think." She tilted her helm down and motioned to his side. "He told me that at least two of his ribs are cracked. Can you brace them?"

Aglovale circled them, curiosity ablaze in his eyes. "What marvelous armor you have! Really, I've never see the like. And the others of your kind are the same?" Arcee gently pushed him away. His persistence was beginning to get irritating, but Arcee could not afford to alienate them. "Actually, the other four are two to three times larger than I. Why don't you, er, save your questions for them?" This was it. She was counting on their fascination to motivate them to follow her and Jack. She did not know the land, and there were no satellites to guide her. Kai frowned up at the Autobot and crossed his arms. He reminded Arcee of Ironhide, back on Cybertron. "Why do you speak as though we were going with you, Giantess?" he growled.

Jack spoke up, with Arcee translating for him. "We were hoping you could tell us how to get to..." He paused, scrunching up his nose in concentration as he tried to find the others' locations. He caught the impression of hills and heather. "Uh...it's a little village with half a wall in between this kind of ring of hills? There's a lot of heather or something." Arcee quirked an eyebrow in amusement at Jack's less-than-eloquent description, but relayed it nonetheless. One of the other three men, who had remained quiet until then, shifted uncomfortably from where he held the reins of the others' horses. "I believe I know the place in question. It borders Ysbaddaden's lands: he raids the settlement once a year or so. I doubt he would take kindly to six of Arthur's knights riding into the territory."

Kai snorted rudely. "But we _aren't_ Arthur's knights anymore. Or have you forgotten, Galahad? Your own _father_ aided in our exile!" For a moment, it looked as though things were about to get ugly. Jack discreetly stood and moved closer to Arcee. If the group fell to fighting, they weren't going to stick around. **'Keep an eye on Aggie there,' **Arcee's optics flicked over to Aglovale. **'He's close enough that a wild swing could hit you if a brawl starts. We can find the others without their help, I suppose.' **They needn't have worried. Bedvyr and a knight with a short red beard pushed between Cai and Galahad. "Easy, easy fellows. Lets not fight in front of milady!" the redhead scolded mildly. He smiled, and Jack abruptly realized that people in this century had no dental care. It wasn't the most pleasant set of teeth he'd ever seen, but the smile had plenty of life to it.

"Come on lads," he continued, "The lady needs our assistance! Perhaps _you're_ all willing to mope, but _I_, for one, look forward to a chance to ruin Ysbaddaden's day!" At this, Galahad visibly brightened. "That's true, we _are_ still bound to help those in need, are we not?" One by one, the six men mounted their horses and rode up on either side of Arcee and Jack. "Tell the lad," Aglovale said, "He can ride with me. We'll show you the way to the half-wall village. It shouldn't take more than three days!" Jack grimaced as his chip translated the man's words. To his embarrassment, Arcee lifted him onto the back of the horse to avoid putting more stress on his ribs. Three days. Jack really hoped he could make it that long without making a Monty Python reference.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey everyone! I've had company over for the last few days on account of one of my friends is getting married this weekend, so I haven't been writing a whole lot. (Playing host and all that, you know how it is). Anyway though, it's Monday, and I take my Monday Update Deadline quite seriously, so I am here with the next chapter of Butterflies!**

**Transformers characters are owned by Hasbro. I'm pretty sure the others are public domain, being somewhat historical.**

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><p>Chapter 17<p>

It could have been a scene right out of the Wizard of Oz, if one were to replace Munchkins with scraggly, dirty humans and the witch with a dragon. Neither Miko nor Bulkhead had any idea what they were saying, but they certainly seemed happy! The thirty or forty men, women, and children cheered and shouted, some even dancing for joy as they repeatedly pointed to the impromptu cairn that marked the resting place of the green Predacon. Miko couldn't decide whether to be worried or terribly amused, and settled on a cautious but good natured smile. "I have no idea what you're all saying!" she called down in a bright, happy voice. She was hard pressed to keep from laughing as they responded with a chorus of cheers. Apparently, they couldn't understand her either.

"What language are they speaking?" she whispered to her guardian. He shrugged gently and smiled down at the enthusiastic humans. "Beats me, Miko. See if there are any Autobots in communication range. They might know." The girl closed her eyes to avoid distraction and accessed the delicate lines of code and thought that made up the communications network between the human Speakers and the Autobots. Ah! Rafael was near enough to contact. _**'Hey Ats'ka!'**_ she sent out a quick communication._** 'Where are we? Bulkhead and I kinda killed a Predacon, and now there's a bunch of cheering people...but I have no idea what they're saying.'**_

The answer was nearly instantaneous, full of surprise and concern and a hint of childish awe. _**'You killed a Predacon, Nene'? What happened?' **_After a quick explanation - which was really all that was needed, as brief as it was - Raf relayed the situation to Ratchet, who responded by sending a data packet to Bulkjead containing the language translations that would allow him to understand Old English_**. 'Thanks, Doc,' **_the Wrecker's relief leaked through his choice of sigils and was answered with a sense of grouchy amusement. _**'How's Miko?' **_the question was unexpected, but in the few moments it took for the translation program to synch with his processor, Bulkhead answered carefully. _**'She's okay, for now. Soon's I get a chance, though, I gotta talk to her about that Raptor she shot.' **_

The medic understood. How could he not? Long before the Autobots had landed on Earth, he'd been the go-between, the guide, the confidant for many a young recruit positive that Optimus and Primus hated them for killing a Decepticon._** 'Rookie's Remorse, huh? That's not necessarily a bad thing, Bulkhead. A soft heart is no weakness.'**_ the gruff voice advised. _**'I know that, but does she?' **_Bulkhead glanced down at his girl again, but she was deep in conversation with Rafael while simultaneously attempting a form of charades with some of the people below. With the completion of the data download, the green mech decided to attempt conversation with the humans. "Is everyone okay?" he asked them, crouching slightly so as to seem less intimidating. "Oh good!" someone cried out, "You _do_ speak our tongue! We were worried that perhaps you did not." A disheveled woman with a babe in arms and two children clinging to her skirts pushed her way forward.

"Have you come from the land of Avalon, giant?" she asked boldly, "What manner of fairy is the maiden you carry with you? For certainly we have never seen her like in any of the people we trade with." When this sentiment was relayed to Miko, she scrunched up her nose and crossed her arms.** 'I don't know whether that's funny, or somehow racist,' **she grumbled. **'Probably both. I don't think she meant it that way, though,' **Bulkhead replied. To the woman, he said "The girl is Miko...er...the Bold. I was charged with her safe-keeping by Op- by the ruler of our people." He shifted uncomfortably. "Umm...so how long has that dragon been causing trouble?" A heavyset man, balding but bearded, answered that the dragon had been raiding their small settlements for two years, rendering them nearly nomadic in their attempts to escape it.

"We have sent messages to the king time and again, but no one answers!" the man - whom Miko decided to nickname Ivan - twisted his grip on his dulled pitchfork and leaned upon it. "We suspect the dragon of waylaying the runners. We had no horses to spare." The woman with the children interrupted him, asking excitedly, "Would you go in their place?" Seeing the giant and the fairy exchange confused looks, she clarified. "You could go to the king and tell him of the troubles that have fallen on us." She lifted her chin haughtily. "And you may tell him how his inaction led to the intervention of denizens of Avalon." Each time she spoke, the two tiny children at her sides repeated the last word in high-pitched voices. Bulkhead frowned.

**'What do you think?' **he asked Miko.** 'Should we talk to this king of theirs?' **Miko thought for a moment and shrugged. '**What's the worst that could happen?' **she responded.** 'Prime and the others will probably head for whatever passes for a Capitol around here, right? Maybe we'll meet them there!'** Bulkhead wasn't so sure that the idea was accurate, but he didn't say anything. Instead he smiled down at the shore-dwellers. "Just tell us which way to go and we'll take your message to your king." Once more the people erupted into cheers as several men and women all at once pointed them away from the shores. "It is twelve days' journey, giant friend! Be on your guard," the bald man said, "Other dragons have been restless as well of late."

* * *

><p>Jack had decided that horseback riding with cracked ribs was <em>not<em> a pleasant experience. Still, he didn't want to let the knights think he was weak, so he kept his mouth shut. It was just pain, he could handle it. Maybe. "Alright lads, we'll make camp here for tonight," Kai growled. "Someone get some firewood." A few of the knights looked at each other uncomfortably, prompting the red-haired man to make a rude noise and leap to the ground. "How did any of you survive before you had squires to do everything for you?" he asked in a tone that was half playful and half irritated. Embarrassed, the others slipped off of their horses and began making camp.

"I'll help," Jack offered, allowing Arcee to translate for him. It occurred to him that it would probably be simpler to let his translation chip convert his speech into the version of the language Arcee was using, but that there would really be no way to explain suddenly being able to speak a language he had been ignorant of moments before. It was inconvenient, but he would have to stick to Arcee translating for him. The femme relayed his offer of aid, but it was quickly turned down. "No no," Bedvyr scolded as he tied his horses reins to a tree branch. "You're still healing from those brigands' attack, young man. You wouldn't want to hurt those ribs any further, would you?"

Jack shrugged and turned his attention to Arcee. **'How are you holding up, Partner?' **he asked. The Autobot smiled ruefully. **'I'm fine, Jack. I won't need to refuel for another two or three days."** She grimaced, holding back her worries so they wouldn't spread to Jack. She hoped there was energon on this continent, even if it was unrefined. If her systems were to fail here, while they were trapped in the past, who would protect her partner? _**'Optimus?' **_she ventured a private communication to her leader._** 'We're about two days away from you and Bumblebee. The knights are tagging along...they want to help the villagers against Ysbabbaden. Don't expect much help beyond that though, sounds like they had a falling out with the king.'**_

Arcee could almost hear the frown in Optimus's voice as he replied. '_**Tensions between a ruler and his people do not bode well. Ratchet tells me that there is an interloper within the court, stirring up trouble between the king and his knights.' **_By this time, a fire had been started and the men were sharing out lumps of stale bread and a few wrinkled apples. Arcee gracefully declined, explaining that she did not require food as often as they did. Jack, Aglovale and Galahad looked distinctly envious of her. While the seven humans muscled their way through the unappetizing meal, the femme found herself mulling over Optimus's information._** 'Think Gunner has anything to do with this?' **_she asked dryly. _**'It is a reasonable assumption,' **_the Prime replied._** 'Keep yourself and Jackson safe, and Primus willing, we will see you soon.' **_Arcee replied with a perfunctorily similar greeting, then returned her attention to the men.

The red haired man had evidently taken it upon himself to teach Jack their language. "Gawain." He pointed to himself and smiled. Jack stifled a smirk and repeated the name, attempting to mimic the knight's accent. It came out sounding distinctly like Monty Python. Arcee's engine made a stuttering, coughing noise as she studiously avoided laughter. **'****So help ****me Jack, if you teach them the Holy Hand-Grenade speech, I will shake your hand. And then I'll probably kill you for messing up the timeline." **Unaware of this exchange, Gawain patiently tried again. "Gawain, Jack," he said slowly, pointing to them both. Jack decided to humor the older man. He seemed kind, after all.

Two more days of nonsense. That was all.

* * *

><p>A stiff breeze from off the sea snatched at Miko's hair, carrying with it the distant scent of salt and travel as she and her guardian made their way away from the cliffs. "Y'know I think out of this whole crazy mess, I liked today best," Miko said after a while. "Kind of nice to get to be the hero, isn't it? It's about time you guys were recognized for all you do." A spark of mischief twinkled in her dark eyes as she reclined on Bulkhead's shoulder. "Hey Bulk! When we get home, lets go to the museum. I wanna see if there's any cave pictures of us or something." The Wrecker chuckled softly as he walked. "Yeah, that'll give them something to talk about, won't it?" Round blue optics peered down at the girl in a failed attempt at being discreet. "So...speaking of talking..."<p>

Abruptly, Miko's whole demeanor fell. "Please, Bulkhead. I'm already going to see him in my nightmares. Do we _really_ have to talk about it?" Blunt servos traced over the bowed head and compassion filled the Wrecker's gaze. "Miko...kid, listen to me. It's okay, what you're feeling right now. Every rookie I know of experiences this the first times they snuff a spark. The ones that didn't have trouble with it usually ended up Decepticons, so offhand I'd say you're doing pretty well." The words did not quite have the desired effect. The littlest Wrecker buried her face in her hands and groaned. "I'm so confused! He was going to kill **Y'ats'a**...he almost did...I had to shoot, right? But...but I killed him. I didn't want to Bulkhead!"

Bulkhead halted in his steps and carefully brushed his charge from his shoulder into his hand, cradling the delicate frame to his spark. "Hey, come on now. Don't cry! You warned the guy, right?" Tearfully, Miko sniffled and looked up at him. "What?" she croaked. "Did you warn him that you would shoot if he didn't let Jack go?" the mech asked. Miko ground the heel of her hand into her eyes and took a shuddering breath. "Y-yeah. I warned him twice but..but he w-wouldn't stop!" With the utmost care, Bulkhead tenderly lifted the slim teenager's chin so that their eyes met. "Then whatever happened is on his own head," he said firmly. "Then...if it wasn't my fault...why do I feel so..._wrong_?" The little whisper almost broke his spark.

Bulkhead lowered himself to a sitting position, shaking the ground, and tucked Miko up close to his chin. "Because you have a good spark, kid. It's okay to mourn when you're forced to kill someone. Doesn't make you bad or weak, Miko, just means you have compassion. That's what separates us from the Decepticons." He sighed and held his girl until the trembling stopped. "Everything okay now?" he asked, a little gruffly. Miko shrugged listlessly. "I feel a little better, I guess," she rasped, "But I think it's gonna take me longer than two days to get over it." Bulkhead nodded and stood up again. "Take as long as you need, Miko. Lets get going, huh? I think we might be close enough to catch up to Ratchet and Raf."

* * *

><p>"Bumblebee, help me with this stone."<p>

The villagers of Half-wall watched in astonishment as the blue and red giant and his "son" (they could not imagine any other reason for the yellow one to look and act so much younger) began rolling boulders into the gaps in the wall. The larger creature's massive sword stood upright where it had been plunged into the earth like the legendary sword of the king. With a grunt of exertion, the two Cybertronians lifted a slab of rock as large as two huts standing together and eased it into place upright behind the lodge house.** 'Ow. My stabilizers hurt!' **Bumblebee complained good-naturedly.

Optimus noted this and allowed the younger mech to rest. As Bumblebee sat, shaking out his arms, Optimus continued to move rocks into place. Half-wall was now surrounded by seven foot high hedges of boulders on two sides, though much of the stone was loose an unanchored. Such was the nature of Optimus Prime that he could not bear the thought of leaving without providing the people with shelter. As there was no reliable way of knowing when or if Ysbaddaden would attack, all that _could_ be done at present _would_ be done. After all, there was no sense in barring a door after the Scraplets are already inside!

It proved to be a more prudent course of action than he could have known. Edwyn's son Bran, a skinny, filthy lad of seven, set up a yell that foes were approaching the village. Optimus looked up, and lining the hills around them were the dark figures of men on horseback, armed with swords and spears and axes. He decided that it would be best to exercise the element of surprise, and slipped behind the walls of boulders, cautioning Bumblebee to do the same. At the head of the warband, a man in furs with a sprawling grey beard and a very long mustache urged his horse forward. The crude representation of a pair of malevolent eyes decorated his long shield, stolen from the corpse of a Roman soldier.

"Half-wall, what is this?" he shouted sternly, "why do you heap up trouble for yourselves by continuing to resist Ysbabbaden? Do you not know that you shall all be slaves? That is your purpose on this earth!" The shaggy horse plodded down the hill as the warrior continued to boast and threaten loudly. "Your devilish walls of stone appeared within a year, yet I know you have not the strength to set them yourselves, for all your young men I have sold to Rome, and all your young women make up the wives of my warband." He bared his rotting teeth in a sickly grin. "If the people of Half-wall would only surrender, I could promise them peace. Half of you will be sold to Rome, where the weather is warm and the food is better, they say. Those who opposed me would die by the sword, for such is the natural way of things, but your children I will spare! Come, you have the word of Ysbaddaden!"

Bumblebee looked down into the small enclosure they had built and saw the outright fear in the faces of the humans. He saw mothers clutch what few children there were close to them - even the children that were not their own. Lucan shot a pleading glance up at him as he picked up a crude axe. Bumblebee nodded once and turned to Optimus. **'How long do we let this braggart go on, Prime?'** he asked, for the beginnings of a hot anger were fluttering in his spark. Optimus held a servo to his lips and slowly drew the Star Saber from his back. When he thought that Ysbaddaden had ridden close enough - he noticed the warband behind him gathering dry wood and torches, and suspected that they planned to burn down the wooden wall - he leapt lightly over the barrier and shook the ground with his landing.

Ysbaddaden and his men struggled to control their terrified horses as Optimus crossed his arms and - in a passable imitation of Megatron's voice - thundered, "Who is this mortal that pollutes the air with his boasting? Come! Let him fight with honor if he has any!" Bumblebee tried very very hard not to laugh. It was a valiant effort, but doomed to failure. If Megatron ever knew that his nemesis could imitate him so perfectly, who knew what kind of chaos could develop back home?** 'Arcee, you guys better get here quick,' **he snickered, **'You're going to want to see this.' **When the reply came that the knights had broken camp and would be there in a matter of hours, Bumblebee cackled mischievously and rubbed his hands together. Ysbaddaden had picked the _wrong_ day to go raiding.


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey guys! Normally I have this up by Monday morning, not afternoon. I apologize for its lateness! I slept in a little too late this morning.**

**Just a few more chapters before story completion! (I'm kind of excited. I love writing stories, but it's a cool feeling to finish them too)**

**Bonus points if you guys can identify the three (slightly modified) quotes in this chapter. Two are from a book and one is from a movie.**

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><p>Chapter 18<p>

A man like Ysbaddaden did not become what he was by being fearful. The mere fact that his hair was grey in a land where most died young was a testament to his skill, if not his outright brutality. He had raided numerous settlements, burned villages to the ground, slaughtered men, women, and children. He had sold hundreds into slavery, kept still more captive himself, and all without this upstart "Arthur" character being able to do a thing to stop him. He was, overall, a man entirely used to having his own way. Perhaps this was why the resistance of Half-wall galled him so. Time and again he burnt their houses and stole their children, and time and again they rebuilt and tried ineffectively to fight him off. It was either admirable courage or blatant stupidity, and he couldn't make his mind up as to which it was.

Being a man very conscious of what it took to control a warband, Ysbaddaden kept his features very still in the face of the apparently angry giant. It would not do for his men to think he was frightened, after all! With some difficulty, he stilled his horse and glared up at the masked warrior. "I am Kin-slayer and Name-taker, Ysbaddaden of the wild lands!" The glowing blue eyes narrowed marginally. "And is that all?" the rumbling rasp held a hint of contempt, and Ysbaddaden could not take that sitting. "I am the master of the seven-hundred spears that pierced the dragon Svarthaelm; the conqueror of Albion; the friend of Rome!" Some of his warriors cheered at this, clashing spears against shields.

"That is better, but do not let your imagination run away with you!" Optimus replied, and smiled behind his battle mask as he heard Bumblebee burst out laughing. If asked by Ratchet or Magnus later, he had every intention of denying that this had occurred at all, but for the moment it was only him and his scout. Nobody was going to tell on him for letting loose and having just a little fun as a historian! So it was to be a formal boasting then? He'd seen enough of Megatronus's old gladiator battles to know how this worked. If he was going to confront this little would-be tyrant with Megatron's voice, why not go the extra step and borrow words from Arcee's favorite human author?

"I see that your men hang back, Kin-slayer and Name-taker. Do they believe they are safer at a distance? I don't know if it had occurred to you that, even if you could pull down this wall and take the people out one by one - a matter of two or more years - you could not get them very far?" The challenge had been set, and now it was his turn to respond. Optimus wracked his processor for a form of the Anglo-Saxon "beot" that would not be too out of character for him. "I am last of an old dynasty, first of a new one. I am thinker and speaker and ruler."

He thought for a moment before continuing. "I faced the devil and bid him hold his tongue! I am Orion who walks the stars, and carries the stars in his sword!" He drew the Star Saber from his back and held it aloft, the brilliant blue of the blade shining down on the humans. Optimus Prime was _very_ grateful that he didn't have to do this kind of thing to deal with humans in the present. As a matter of cultural curiosity, once or twice was fine, even secretly a little fun. To have to prove dominance via ritual boasting _all_ the time, however, struck him as more of a Decepticon activity than that of an Autobot. His optics caught the distant shadows of figures on horseback at the edge of the horizon, and internal monitors identified the figure towering over them as Arcee.

That would be useful, he decided, should Ysbaddaden attack despite all common sense. Said warlord was currently gazing up at him with a combination of trepidation and calculation. "You must be a very great warrior indeed," he said carefully, "Why, then, do you waste your time with such an insignificant collection of mud and reeds as Half-wall? Are its people rich, that they can afford to feed someone like you? What glory can be got here?" Ysbaddaden pulled his steed back a few paces as the red and blue giant took a step forward. "They have given me nothing, Ysbaddaden, and if I have anything to say about it, they shall _continue_ to give me nothing. I do not come for what I might gain, but rather to warn you that if you do not leave these people in peace, there will be consequences."

As the old warrior attempted to puzzle out why such a formidable being would choose to protect a village good for nothing it enslavement, he did not notice eight figures approaching stealthily from the west. Kai slipped off his horse and donned his helmet, whispering, "Gawain, Aglovale, go with the lady. Galahad, Bedvyr, take the boy with you. Bors, with me. We'll flank them and hope that big fellow doesn't crush us all!" Arcee helped Jack down from Bedvyr's horse. "Don't worry about it. Optimus Prime is very careful with humans. He cares a lot about them." Gawain raised his bushy eyebrows and pondered the name. "First and Best? That's quite a name! Is he a knight?" Jack grinned and allowed his partner to translate for him once more. "More like a king."

This seemed to impress the knights as they fanned out. Kai and Bors drew level with the furthermost members of the warband. "Evenin'," Kai said gruffly. There was an instant commotion in the back of the formation as six heavily armed men and an armored giantess began forcing their way up through the ranks. "There are two of them?!" one of Ysbaddaden's men cried. Optimus said nothing. He was prepared to keep Bumblebee hidden as a trump card of sorts. With a ringing clang, Arcee unfolded the tulwar blades built into her arms. "Alright boys, off the horses." she snapped.

Reluctantly, they did as they were told, though they far outnumbered the knights and the giants. Some of the warband were beginning to think that Ysbaddaden ought to have planned the raid better. It just wasn't wise to leave an armed giant out of one's calculations! Ysbaddaden was dumbfounded. They numbered nearly seventy two! What could possibly prompt his warriors - usually insufferably bold - into this cowed submission? He turned to scold them and got his answer. Baldur had evidently decided that it took more than Arcee and a handful of Arthur's knights to intimidate him. He swung a barbed club down at Aglovale, intending to stave in his head. The knight dodged, and the blow caught his shoulder.

"Aglovale! Are you alright?" Gawain called, concerned. The gentle man tried to keep the pain from his voice as he answered. "Well, considering six men and one boy just took on seventy one mounted warriors, offhand I'd say I'm better than I've got a right to be!" Baldur soon found that he could not swing the club again. Arcee stormed over and lifted him bodily from the saddle. "Drop that club!" she ordered, "Drop it!" When he did not comply right away, she gave him a little shake. Whimpering, Baldur did as he was told. Ysbaddaden was disgusted. He turned back to find the one that called himself Orion watching him coolly. "I find that it is usually very unwise to provoke her," he offered, as casually as if he'd been discussing the weather.

"Now, shall we discuss your behavior towards Half-wall?"

* * *

><p>"Are we there yet?"<p>

Surprisingly, it was not Rafael who asked this question, but Ratchet. Emrys glanced up at the amber and white mech and shook his head with a smile. "We are near, my friend. We have already made remarkable progress, don't you think? It should only be two more days of walking." He did not understand the language Ratchet muttered in, but he gathered that the response was unfavorable. Emrys chuckled and glanced down at the giant's tiny apprentice. "And how goes it with you, young man?" It took Raf three or four seconds to work out what the man had asked. When he thought he'd figured it out, the boy shrugged and answered in English. Ratchet quickly translated. "He says that he is well, but that his legs are getting tired."

The Autobot blinked. "Why didn't you say so before?" he chided. Out of habit, Raf reached both arms out in the universal gesture for _pick me up_. Emrys raised one excessively hairy eyebrow, but hid an indulgent smile as Ratchet lifted the smaller human up onto his shoulder. The giant seemed to be fussing over him for a moment in his own tongue before beginning to walk again. "I don't believe I asked before," Emrys began, leaning on his staff, "but you said the boy was your apprentice. What, exactly, do you teach him?" Ratchet considered for a moment how best to answer. "I am a physician by trade. A healer of sorts among my own people. Rafael here is learning to treat others like me, be they wounded, sick, or merely stubborn."

"Ah, a healer! That is a noble calling indeed." Emrys nodded sagely, but Ratchet detected a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Well then, physician. Might I call upon you to aid these old bones? You've much longer legs than I, you see, and I suspect we'll make much better time without human feet slowing us down!" Up on Ratchet's shoulder, Raf snickered at the legendary wizard's indirect question. He nudged his mentor who, with a longsuffering sigh, reached down and picked up Emrys. "Oh very well!" he grumbled. "At least this way we'll catch up to Bulkhead and Miko in a few hours. Hold on tight up there!"

* * *

><p>Bulkhead was not, perhaps, the fastest of Autobots, but Miko had no complaints. Once they were well out of sight of any human settlements, Bulkhead had switched to vehicle mode, giving Miko her first chance to sit and rest since the disastrous attack on Jasper in the other timeline. She reclined on the seating in his interior and enjoyed the air conditioning. "Phwaw! I might just fall asleep right here, Bulk!" she yawned. He chuckled over the radio. "You go ahead and do that, Miko. I'll let you know when I need to change form again." Miko nodded sleepily in agreement to the proposed arrangement and settled back into the seat cushions. "'Kay. Lemme know when we run into Ratchet and Raf, okay?" Once more the Wrecker agreed, and before long, his charge was sprawled across the seats, breathing deeply.<p>

Bulkhead drove for an hour over varying terrain before he came to a road that looked well-worn. Guessing that people traveled it frequently, he wisely decided that the time for his vehicle mode was past. Unfortunately, Miko slept on, oblivious. Gently, gingerly, Bulkhead used his seatbelts to do what his hands could not and extract the girl. After several close calls and nearly dropping her once, Bulkhead set her gently down on the roadway and transformed. "Easy kid," he murmured to the sleeper, "No need to wake up just yet. Just gonna do some walking from here. That's all." She did not stir, and he held her in both hands as he walked slowly. He had not gotten far when a static burst in his comm revealed a waiting message. _**'Hey, were you going to just leave us behind?"**_

When he turned, to his surprise he caught a faint hint of red and white far down the road behind him. Bulkhead shifted Miko to one hand and waved**_. 'Hey Doc! You guys sure made good time! Either that or this island is smaller than I thought...' _**The Wrecker stood still and allowed the medic and his charges to catch up to him. If he was surprised by the presence of a second human, he didn't say so, but Emrys felt his stare all the same. "What?" the roughened voice asked, "We crotchety old men have got to stick together!" Pure mischief radiated from every line in his weathered face, and Bulkhead was hard-pressed to stifle his snicker. "Miko's asleep!" he whispered to the trio, "Finally wore herself out!"

Emrys glanced down at the delicate form curled up in the green giant's hand. It was definitely a young female, but her hair and manner of dress were even more unusual than the child that sat on the healer's other shoulder! He supposed her to have come from some other country, where perhaps children were not required to dress properly. "Hail, friend," he greeted the second giant politely. "My name is Emrys. Where are you and the maiden bound?" The large fellow scratched his head a moment and answered almost sheepishly. "Well...we killed a Pre - a dragon, and there was this village near the sea, and they asked us to tell the king he's been falling down on the job or something."

Ratchet snorted at the simple explanation. "Bulkhead, do you even _know_ who their king is?" He groaned and dropped his faceplate into his palm as the Wrecker cheerfully answered, "No clue! Shouldn't be too hard to figure out, though. Right?" Rafael took the opportunity to scamper down Ratchet's arm and leap over to Bulkhead's. "Ep ep ep! You _know_ I don't like it when you do that, Rafael!" the old medic scolded. His ire lessened somewhat as the boy tossed a winning smile in his direction. "Sorry, Ratchet!" he attempted in Anglo-Saxon. Then he hopped down to Bulkhead's hand and tapped Miko's shoulder. "**Nene'**! Hey **Nene'** wake up!" The girl groaned and rolled over, mumbling, "Go back to sleep, Raf! There's no school today!"

Undeterred, Raf shook her shoulder. "Wake up, Miko! We're going to Camelot!" That got her attention. Miko sat bolt upright and stared at the boy, as if only just registering that he was present. "_Camelot_?!" she asked in disbelief. "Camelot!" he repeated with a wide grin. With a smirk, she crossed her arms. "It's only a model." Mortified, Ratchet shushed them with a loud "_SSSSHH_!" Luckily, the exchange had been in English, and Emrys only understood the word "Camelot." Miko stood shakily and rubbed her eyes. "Heya Doc!" she yawned, stretching until her back cracked. "Bout time you showed up! Who's your buddy there?"

Raf beamed and tugged her hand. "Miko, that's Merlin."

* * *

><p>The warband had surrendered without much of a fight. That's not to say there wasn't a skirmish, only that it didn't last very long. Though the knights were a little surprised by Optimus's order that they should not kill any of the men, they complied. For the most part. A few warriors were struck down in self-defense, but they had attacked the knights first. Most of Ysbaddaden's men had taken the route Baldur had and knelt trembling on the ground, lest Arcee get angry and shake them again. "Now," Optimus said sternly, and his voice shook the ground. "Ysbaddaden of the wild lands, do you concede defeat?" The old warlord looked from the giant, to the giantess, to the knights, to the angry inhabitants of Half-wall, wielding axes and pitchforks.<p>

If he surrendered here, his days as leader of the warband were numbered. Nevermind that his own men were behaving like frightened chickens, the remainder of the band in his encampment would call him a coward and slip a knife between his ribs when he wasn't looking. Yet he had a feeling that if he were to pursue the fracas to its final stupidity*, he would face terrible defeat, made all the more humiliating by the fact that the opponents would spare his life. It was a game that had been set against him from the start, and Ysbaddaden was forced to admit that he was outmatched. "I yield," he spat. He flung his long blade into the ground and it stood upright, quivering.

The crowd parted and one of the town elders strode forth. "Now hear the terms of your surrender!" Elder Faran called out in a loud voice. "You shall return to your encampment alone, and our allies shall ensure that you free our daughters and send them home to us. Your seventy one warriors shall remain here as hostages until you free your slaves. When our people return to us, we shall return yours to you. These are our terms: we will not change them." Ysbaddaden had no choice but to accept the terms. His warriors were herded into a barn - of all the indignities - and relieved if their weapons by villagers, who now had a tactical advantage and the superior technology.

Bumblebee stepped out over the wall and stared down at Ysbaddaden. Though his mask was still in place, he was grinning from audial to audial. Kai and Gawain volunteered to go along as Bumblebee could not speak the local dialect, and the would-be tyrant was marched away at sword point to the cheers of Half-wall. He hadn't even known there'd been a third giant! The fact that he'd been vanquished without even their full number made his march all the worse. As things calmed down, Jack broke away from Bedvyr's considerably overprotective grip and ran up to Optimus, saluting cheerfully. "That was _awesome_!" he laughed. "It's too bad that doesn't work on Megatron!" The Prime had been so busy directing the defensive positions of the village that he had not even seen Jack among the knights. "Were you in the middle of the battle the _whole time_?" he asked, astonished.

"Umm...maybe?" Jack shrugged. Optimus sighed and stooped to lift the boy. "What am I to do with you?" he asked. "Hey! It wasn't _my_ idea!" Jack protested, but he soon gave up and settled against the Autobot leader's chestplates. The warmth of the mighty spark beneath washed over the tired human, and to his embarrassment, Jack felt his eyelids start to droop. "It's good to see you again, Optimus," he yawned. Optimus smiled a little. "It is good to see you as well, Jackson." Bors looked up at the tallest giant. "How very strange that such a mighty being should take such interest in the fate of a handful of humans." he mused. Beside him, Bedvyr nodded. "I daresay the boy knows him."

He turned to Arcee as the femme walked past them. "How is it that a young human has won your regard and the regard of your king? Are all your people naturally so tenderhearted?" Bedvyr asked. Arcee smirked as she looked in the direction the men were pointing. Jack had fallen asleep: she was going to give him _so_ much grief for this. "Jack isn't the only one," she answered them. "Remember, we've still got two more kids out there we need to find. Miko and Raf are every bit as important to us as Jack is, and when we find them Optimus is probably going to react the exact same way." She looked around, wondering when Bumblebee would return. "Not all of our species is like this," Arcee said quietly, "But to us, the humans are family." Bors nodded in understanding. "That is something I can relate to."

The leathery skin around his eyes tightened as his gaze fell on Galahad. The younger knight was attempting to show a young woman his age how to hold a shield. "I was not exiled with the others, milady Arcee. I _chose_ to leave, to be with my nephew. At the behest of a king I thought wiser and a stranger with knowledge of dragons, Lancelot betrayed his own son and cast him out into the wild. I may well be all he has left. God forbid he should go looking to his mother for assistance." Bors shuddered and Aglovale stopped placing rocks in front of the makeshift prison door to nod sympathetically. "Aye. That woman is mad! I daresay she's a bit overly-attached to Lancelot. The swine doesn't even love her! Er...no offense, Sir Bors."

"None taken, Sir Aglovale." Bors stood and looked up at Optimus Prime. "Sir Prime," he began politely, "As it seems that our own king has released us from his service in disgrace, we find ourselves somewhat unattached. Would you consider it an impertinence if we were to ask to follow you? You seem to be a man of honor." Arcee and Optimus exchanged surprised and amused glances. "I am...honored by your request," Optimus replied, "but I had hoped that I would be able to prevail upon some or all of you to remain here and protect these people should Ysbaddaden break his word. My people and must move on, to speak to your king." A scowl darkened his features.

"We've a certain snake in the grass to retrieve."

***line taken from the film "Dragonheart" with Dennis Quaid and Sean Connery**


	19. Chapter 19

**It's Monday yet again, dear friends! Here, then, is the next installment of my tale!**

**I do not own Transformers. Arthur and company might be public domain though...I mean, historical figures + stories made prior to 1920= probably not copyrighted **

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><p>Chapter 19<p>

Night lay heavy over the road, still and cold while innumerable stars lit the heavens. In the wide expanses of heathland about, small creatures stirred and went about their business. They paid little heed to the distant sound of footsteps, unaware that their peaceful lives were about to be interrupted. The boots were heavy, nothing like the softer shoes of the locals, and several field mice were nearly crushed as they scuttled out of the way. The strangely dressed man paused and glanced down at a small box in his hand. "Twenty hours of battery life left. Gotta be smart about this."

Iago Gunner tipped his head back and breathed deep of the dark. This was something he could get used to: the cleanness of the air, the scent of the trees, the feel of the earth beneath his boots...and the view! He opened his stark grey eyes and let them drink in the sky. He could see whole constellations, clouds, galaxies, all with his naked eye, and he marveled at the beauty of the heavens. He couldn't go back to the polluted present, the myriad little squabbles for power amongst the rabble Silas had left behind. No. This was where he belonged, where a gun, a flashlight, and a GPS got you a lot further than mere words.

This was about more than power. Gunner scoffed at delusions of grandeur. He had no designs on the throne, not yet. He would bide his time, cementing relationships among those with power. He had literally centuries to prepare for the arrival of the Transformers, and a GPS marked with the location of every skirmish over Predacon bones that MECH had logged. With Arthur's aid, four of the fifteen were already dead, and the remains had been moved to the dungeons for study. When the Autobots made planetfall, the Earth would be ready. A new dominant species would emerge: humanity.

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><p>"You're truly going?"<p>

Aglovale's gentle brown eyes watched with a mixture of curiosity and concern. The strange young companion of the giants smiled at him and nodded, then made a frustrated exclamation of some kind and dodged Bedvyr once more. "For heaven's sake, lad, hold still!" the older knight growled, grabbing for him again. "We've still got to brace those ribs!" The oddly-dressed youth wriggled out of Bedvyr's grasp with a triumphant laugh and attempted to climb over a split rail fence. The exertion put a strain on his cracked ribs and he paused, wincing. It was just enough time for the medically-minded knight to swoop in and seize Jack again.

"Oh come on! You're worse than Laserbeak!" Jack groaned, knowing they couldn't understand him. He fidgeted as Bedvyr wound tight strips of cloth around his ribs. "Jackson." There was a hint of scolding in the Prime's tone. "Let the man do his job." Jack scowled, but stilled with a mumbled "**Aahroh, T'o't.**" Optimus nodded, then, after a moment's thought, knelt to speak with Bors. "Are you certain that you and your nephew wish to accompany us, Sir Bors? Arcee tells me that young Galahad is not on good terms with his father. I do not wish to stir up discord among you." Bors glanced over to where the twenty-year-old was still attempting to teach the pretty daughter of Kendryek how to hold a shield. "Noble giant, there is discord already. It may serve the boy well to confront my brother for turning against his own blood."

He smiled sadly a moment, then motioned to Jack. "I do not question your ability to protect and provide, but where we go, giants will not be altogether welcome. Since the coming of the Dragon Hunter, the king is not one to take council with other races anymore, and it would be better for your lad if he were with humans who went armed." Optimus frowned. He did not doubt that this so-called "dragon hunter" had something to do with the time-traveling MECH agent. It stood to reason that Gunner would attempt to turn the humans against Cybertronians in an attempt to gain an advantage over them. Optimus disliked the idea of sending his human allies into a situation that he could not control.

"I had not intended to send the children in after Gunner," Optimus said slowly, "But if, as you say, your king will not listen to my people, would he listen to a human child that did not come from his lands?" Bors took a torch from a villager and sat down on a pile of timber. He squinted out into the darkness, waiting for the return of Kai, Gawain, and Bumblebee. He seemed to hold some internal debate with himself before he spoke again. "As I am no longer bound to serve Arthur Pendragon - a situation I hope may be rectified someday - I will say this: bluster and poor choices aside, the king holds in his heart a soft spot for orphans from humble beginnings. He was one himself once, though few remember it."

Galahad left off with his awkward flirting and came to stand behind his uncle. "Perhaps if Jack or one of the other two you spoke of could learn to speak our language, they might have a chance to speak against the Dragon Hunter," he suggested. Hearing her partner's name, Arcee crossed the tiny village square and crouched beside the men. "What about Jack?" she asked. Full of enthusiasm, the youngest of the knights turned to her. "Milady, if your squire could be taught to speak as you do, he might win sympathy from Arthur if he can convince the that he is but a poor orphan." Arcee stared incredulously at him, then shifted her optics to Optimus.** 'Is he serious?'** she quirked an eyebrow.** 'I am afraid so.'**

Arcee's faceplates contracted into a gentle frown as she turned to look for her partner. Blue eyes flashed in the torchlight as Jack laughed at something Aglovale had done. **'It's...not too far from the truth, I suppose. It would be more accurate if it was Miko though.'** The blue femme stood and, just for a hint of a second, let herself lean against Optimus's comforting bulk, letting the warm presence chase the weariness away. **'How long do we wait for 'Bee before moving on?'** Jack murmured. The hills around them still showed no sign of the scout. "We do not leave without him," the Prime answered in English this time. "I will not let us be any more separated than we already are."

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><p>Two titanic forms lumbered along through the fields, remarkably quiet for beings of their size and weight. "Will you <em>look<em> at that sky!" Bulkhead whispered, "I ain't seen that many stars since the fight on the Space Bridge!" Ratchet nodded absently. He was a little more occupied with following the heading Emrys had given him. Emrys, in turn, was occupied with trying to keep a sleeping Raf and Miko from tumbling off of Ratchet's shoulder. "Yes yes, very pretty," Ratchet grumbled. "Would you do something about Miko before she falls and breaks every bone in her body?" With a sheepish grin, the Wrecker reached over. Emrys let the girl fall back into the giant's waiting hand, where she curled into a little ball and murmured contentedly.

"Hey Emrys," Bulkhead asked after a short silence, "If you were Arthur's advisor or wizard or whatever, what happened? How did you end up exiled?" The old man pursed his lips. His eyebrows bristled and stuck out like caterpillars over his eyes, lending him an overall fearsome look. "Pulling swords from stones and unifying a kingdom does not automatically make one wise," he said shortly. "Arthur is a good man, most of the time, but he's only too human: he will stumble, he will fall, he will do things we will all regret. This was one of those times." Following this declaration, Ratchet and Bulkhead conversed in low tones in their own tongue.

'**Apparently a stranger with, and I quote, "a box that spoke and a rod that spit fire and metal" showed up at court and persuaded the king to begin a hunt for Predacons,' **Ratchet explained. His companion was horrified. **'With their technology? They'd be lucky if they only lost half their men in one fight!'** Ratchet nodded, a grim resignation in his optics. **'Precisely. Emrys and a handful of knights argued against stirring up the dragons, but Gunner's superior technology and knowledge of the future have evidently blinded Arthur to all reason.' **Bulkhead pulled Miko a little closer and let out a rumbling snort. **'Let me guess: the king figured that questioning his new pal was the same as questioning him and banished 'em?'**

In the distance, the faintest glimmer of light caught their optics. The two giants stumbled on in the darkness. Internal sensors warned them of approaching lifeforms an hour to the southeast. Bulkhead stopped. '**Take Miko,'** he muttered,** 'I'll go check it out.' **Olive armor rattled softly as he slipped down into a hollow between hills with a stealth that belied his size and weight. In its socket, his right hand spun, gaining size and folding out into a mace lit with energon. There was something familiar about the incoming party, but they weren't close enough to tell yet. Bulkhead settled in to wait and began to him under his breath.

Across the hills, Bumblebee was very pleased with himself. Gawain and Kai had done all the talking when they'd marched the defeated Ysbaddaden into his war camp, but he'd gotten to glare and growl and be as terrifying as he wasn't allowed to be at home. Faced with a giant with an impenetrable hide, the rest of the warband grudgingly conceded defeat and laid down their arms. Gawain went from hut to hut, slashing ropes and breaking chains. Forty five women and twenty young men were freed. Tragically, those who had already been sold to Rome and other tribes would probably never be recovered. Still, they would take the victories they could.

Of the rescued women, thirty had been forced into marriages among Ysbaddaden's men and most of them had children. Of the thirty, sixteen had husbands who loved them dearly and were willing to follow them back to Half-wall. All in all, they were bringing home close to 140 people. Bumblebee hoped Half-wall was big enough to fit them all. Optimus, Arcee, Jack and two knights were already en route to whatever passed for a Capitol around here, so Bumblebee figured he would take the long way back and just meet up with them on the way. He paused a moment and the line of refugees halted behind him. The scout crouched and gestured to the raggedy band, then to the knights, and he pointed to the heath.

"You want us to take them the rest of the way, don't you?" Kai asked. Bumblebee nodded. He stood and pantomimed searching and being attacked, then pointed back the way they had come. "Never fear, my young friend," Gawain said with a smile, "We'll be on our guard." Bumblebee buzzed happily and saluted with a wink. Then he spun around to face the direction the king's home was supposed to be in and set off. The edges of the world were beginning to grey, and the birds had begun to awaken and sing their morning hymns as the youngest Autobot made contact with his fellows.

Well, if almost stepping on Bulkhead could be counted as making contact, anyway.

**'Hello there!'** he laughed as he peered down at the larger mech. **'What are you doing? Lying in wait for unwary travelers?' **Bulkhead stood up with a sigh and shook his round helm as the night faded away. "Yeah, I thought that signature might've been yours. Where's Optimus?" He took the scout's arm and led him back to the place where he had left Ratchet and the humans. With a happy squeal, the youngling threw his arms around the grumpy medic, completely disregarding the humans that had been asleep. "Oh no! Not you!" Ratchet groaned in mock-dismay, "I'll never have a moment's peace again!"

Emrys blinked pale eyes and stifled a yawn as the little boy leaning against him slowly woke. "I see there are indeed more of you than I had first thought!" he mused. "Tell me, friend Ratchet, is this fellow as young as he seems, or am I simply _that_ old?" Ratchet chuckled and squirmed out of the yellow mech's grip. "No, he really is that young. Had he been born to the world of men, I doubt he would exceed sixteen winters just yet. But he is a good lad nonetheless." At this, Raf fully woke up and adjusted his glasses. As soon as he caught sight of his guardian, he let out a wild whoop. "Bumblebee!" He threw himself from Ratchet's shoulder without a second thought and into Bumblebee's outstretched servos.

It was an act of deep trust, and one performed without a second thought, Emrys noted. The two young beings clicked and cooed to each other in another language for all the world like a pair of dove nestlings. The old human glanced down at his "perch"'s hands, assuming that the racket would wake the girl-child again. He was, as usual, correct. Miko stretched and groaned. "S-sorry guys," she yawned, "Guess I dozed off again!" Sleep was all but forgotten when she noticed the newest number of the party. "Hey dude! 'Bout time you showed up!" The teen stood and grinned up at her friends. Bulkhead held out a hand for his charge, who instantly obeyed, chattering all the while.

"This is great! Now we just need Jack, 'Cee, and Optimus, and we can go home, right?" Her smile faded just a little at her guardian's grave expression. "Prime and the others are headed to the same place we are - we've just got a six-hour head start is all - but just getting the band together isn't going to be enough, Miko." Bulkhead tried to explain, "Ratchet says we have to catch Gunner first before he totally messes up history!" With the urgency of their mission pressed upon them once more, three Autobots and three humans fell silent and strode over paths and fields, towards the glimmers of light they had seen.

Towards Camelot.

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><p>After everything he had seen and said over the last two days, Optimus Prime did not mind admitting that his spark was immeasurably lightened by the sight of Rafael and Mikoto waving from their protectors' shoulders from their place by the walls of the fortress. He felt still better when Miko scrambled from Bulkhead's proffered arm to Optimus's shoulder, assuring him that this was no illusion. 'Dear child, you had us worried!' he chided her gently. Already the bruises were beginning to fade on her cheek as Miko offered him a shy smile. "I'm okay, Optimus. Me and Bulkhead talked...about the sniper, I mean." Optimus made a curious sound that was part click and part croon and plucked Miko from his shoulder, holding her close to his spark.<p>

"Then you know that you are not to blame, Miko?" he asked. Puffy hair brushed against his armor as she nodded. "Yeah, I guess. Not sure I've totally accepted it yet, but I think that's okay." Optimus quietly murmured, "Yes Miko, that is alright," then held his other hand out for Raf. Bumblebee was understandably reluctant to let go of his best friend, but he forced himself to hold out his arm and let the human climb to the older mech's hand. "Hi **T'o't**!" Raf chirped. He perched on his knees in the center of the Prime's palm: tired, dirty, but content. He adjusted his glasses for the third or fourth time and let out a cavernous yawn.

"Good morning, Rafael," Optimus smiled. "Although I believe "good afternoon" may be more accurate." Beside them, Arcee shook her head and grinned. "Bors, Galahad, those are the other two kids I was telling you about," she said to the knights beside her. "You get used to the hair and the outfits. Eventually." Ratchet and Bulkhead glanced over, noticing their other companions for the first time. "I beg your pardon!" Ratchet squawked, "Did you just say Galahad?! But he's-" From his place in the Prime's hand, Raf cleared his throat meaningfully.** 'Wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey Doctor. We can't give him any hints about the future.' **

From the ground, Jack burst out laughing**. 'Oh wow. You just made ****_that_**** reference, Ats'ka!' **Ignoring the cheerful, shouted reunion, Galahad strayed from his uncle's side to peer through the gates. "How will we get in?" he asked, "The guards will know we are in exile!" He jumped as an old man brushed past him. "Just you leave that to me, young man." The younger knight sputtered and quickly regained his composure. "Emrys? I had not expected to find you here as well! Then I take it we have all come on the same purpose?" Optimus bent to gently place Miko and Raf on the ground and nodded. "We have come to retrieve Iago Gunner before he does irreparable harm. We believe that we need only make physical contact between him and one of my species to trigger the event that will send us home."

Bors took a deep breath and loosened his sword in his shield. This was his home, his brother's home, the home of his king. All the same, he had chosen to leave for the sake of his nephew and his friends, and could not be assured of any kind of welcome. "Good Prime, will you allow us to take the children to speak with the king while you remain outside the walls? Their foreign dress and manner may pique Arthur's curiosity enough to make him listen." The Autobots debated this in murmured voices for a few minutes before the blue femme answered. "I'm small enough to fit in most of those hallways. I can go with them to keep them safe." Optimus nodded sternly and turned to the children.

"Each of you must leave your comm on at all times, do you understand?" he asked. **'Aahroh, T'o't!' **they chorused, even saluting playfully. The other mechs - especially Bumblebee - fidgeted and fussed over the idea, but there was little to be done about of it now. With Arcee as rearguard, three kids, two knights, and an old wizard made their way to the primary entrance of the city. "Just let me do the talking until we get there," Emrys hissed. "Can any of the young ones confidently speak our tongue?" Of the three, only Miko had downloaded the proper language program without people nearby, thus precluding the need to explain her sudden proficiency. It was decided that Miko would present their case to the king. As the gate shut behind them, somebody muttered, 'We're all gonna die."


	20. Chapter 20

**Really quick, I want to thank everyone who's stuck with this story, and everyone who has reviewed over the past nineteen weeks. It's been really encouraging!**

**After this chapter, there's one more and an epilogue, so things are wrapping up. (And for those who asked, there will be some Excalibur vs Star Saber action before it's all over, but that will be in the next chapter)**

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><p>Chapter 20<p>

The hall was cold, and the king could not say for certain whether it was the early chill of morning or the emptiness of the Table that made it so. He truly did regret banishing so many of his knights - some of them dear friends - but pride forbade an apology. He was the king! He couldn't just go around making decisions and then overturning them when he got tired of them, after all. Arthur groaned and rested his forehead in the palm of his hand. "Saul, I almost feel I understand you," he sighed as he looked up at one of the many tapestries that decorated the room. This one depicted the biblical king Saul flinging a javelin at David as he played the lyre.

Down the stone staircase leading away from the room, heavy footsteps echoed. It was the man called Gunner - Arthur knew by the sound of his strange footwear. Quickly, the king straightened his posture and schooled his features to a neutral expression. It had been Gunner's suggestion, after all, that had led to his friends' exile. Arthur was beginning to suspect that the strange wizard was not the most trustworthy of warriors, but he was undoubtedly more dangerous than he appeared. Arthur doubted even Excalibur could protect him from the strange weapon that spit metal and smoke.

"You are come most carefully upon your hour," said he, "Am I to assume you have discovered the nesting place of another serpent?" Gunner approached the dais and bowed low. "Your majesty, my speaking-box will only be able to tell me of one more place. But once _that_ dragon is dead, I can teach you and your people to use their remains to make weapons and tools for yourselves. You need never fear the Roman Empire again!" Arthur made a disinterested gesture. "So you have promised before." he said. "Which is why our dungeons fill up with armored bones and strange entrails. We shall have no room for prisoners soon!"

Gunner had not been asked to speak, and so he held his tongue. Silently, however, he mused that if the cells were full, a little capital punishment couldn't hurt.

Well, it _would_ hurt _someone_.

His knees began to protest as he knelt on the hard stone, but he kept silent. There was no telling with semi-mythical monarchs, after all. One wrong move, and whack! They're digging up your remains in archaeological excavations. At least this way he didn't have far to fall when the page-boy tore through the wide hall screaming about armored giants. Gunner landed on his rear in a state of semi-shock. Giants? It couldn't be!

He knew the Predacons didn't have bipedal forms - or at least, that's what all the information stated - so it couldn't be a dragon! It was far, _far_ too early for Decepticons or Autobots to be landing...unless his presence had already changed history. For the first time since his arrival in the past, Iago thought of the short story "The Sound of Thunder", and he cringed. What if, by taking steps to ensure that humanity could combat the aliens, he'd only ensured the aliens' total conquest of Earth? Gunner took a deep breath and willed himself not to panic. There was no room for self-doubt now, here in the thick of things. And anyway, he felt he'd sufficiently made the king and his knights suspicious of giants. Lancelot, in particular, had sworn to kill any he saw. But then, he didn't really trust Lancelot to do much besides bluster. He was a little bit useless outside of battle.

Well then, there was little else to do besides wait and see what the giants wanted. Until they knew for sure, Gunner planned to remain in the fortress, probably down near the Predacon bones. After all, it wasn't as though a Cybertronian would be able to fit through the narrow hallways. He watched the king apprehensively, hoping he would neither order an attack nor a parley with the creatures. Arthur stroked his beard, then called out to one of the attendant guards, "Summon the knights and the soldiers and array them on the walls. We shall see what these eldritch creatures want." He turned to Gunner. "You shall go with them. Prove your loyalty and trustworthiness in battle, and you shall be rewarded."

There was no way to refuse, so Iago bowed and moved to join the soldiers. At least he knew the king would not true the Autobots.

He had forgotten about the human children.

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><p>"Quickly, this way!" Emrys motioned the small band to follow him. We will attract less attention if we-" he turned to see several servants gawking at the children's clothes. "Never mind," the old man sighed. Whispers filled the air as they passed, and Galahad tightened his grip on his blade. "I feel like a thief, creeping in like this," he mumbled. "It's called stealth, Galahad. You should try it sometime," Miko snorted and brushed past him, head held high and ignoring the stares. Jack made an apologetic face and moved to catch his friend.<strong> 'Please tell me that's not how you were planning to talk to the king! I don't really want to die today, thanks.'<strong>

Miko rolled her eyes as they slipped through a muddy yard to a door that evidently led to the kitchens. **'I'm not an idiot, Jack.' **With a deft motion, she snatched some poor soul's spare tunic from a pile of baskets, then knotted a sheet around her waist.** 'I play Skyrim, remember? I know what happens when you don't watch your mouth around people with swords.' **Behind her, Raf scoffed.** 'And yet you mouth off to giant alien robots every day!' **Jack chuckled at the smaller boy's dry tone and nodded. **'He's got a point.' **He glanced back at Bors and Galahad and noticed that the younger of the two appeared very apprehensive. **'Okay guys, don't laugh at me,' **Jack ordered.

**'Why, what are you going to do?'** Miko stopped following Emrys for a moment to give the older teen an odd look. Jack shrugged. **'They think I can't speak their language: I can't use the chip to speak Anglo-Saxon or they'll get suspicious. Gawain was trying to "teach" me some simple phrases a few days ago, so I'll have to use those. I might sound funny, but don't laugh.' **Then they moved on through dark, smoky corridors stained with the smoke of countless torches. Raf scurried forward to walk with Emrys - the old man reminded him of Ratchet enough to be comforting - and Jack dropped back to walk between Arcee and Galahad.

"Alright?" he asked, mimicking the local accent to help him sound unsure of his words. Galahad smiled weakly. "Yes, I'm alright, friend. Just some bad memories, that's all." Arcee made an understanding noise. "Your father?" she asked. The young knight looked away, hurt and anger still mixed in his eyes. "I know that he did what he did out of loyalty to Arthur, but to my shame I still resent him for it." Jack shook his head and placed a hand on his vambrace. "Didn't help you. Not...not good man." Ahead of the procession, marching up narrow stairs, Miko was valiantly controlling her amusement.

For a moment, Galahad bristled, ready to defend his progenitor's honor, but then he deflated a little. "Is anyone really "good", my friend?" he asked, and Arcee heard in the boy's tones the same weariness she'd heard in many soldiers far older than he. "Listen to me," she murmured to Bors, "From the looks of things, we're nearly to wherever your king is. I can't go in with you, or I might scare them into not listening. I'm going to wait in the corridor unless I have reason to believe that the kids are in danger." Crouching to avoid the low ceiling, the femme gestured to Galahad. "Keep an eye on your nephew, Bors. He has a good heart, but you need to think about what might happen when your brother shows up."

Bors said nothing, but his face grew grim. He knew as well as Arcee that there was a risk. Lancelot knew perfectly well that Galahad near idolized him, though he barely gave the boy the time of day. If he had sided with Gunner, there was a distinct possibility that he might try to manipulate his son into turning against the party that had come to speak to the king. "You said that once the man, Gunner, was handed over to you, the world would be set to rights again?" He wasn't sure what the giantess said in response, as it was in the same language her youthful companion used, but it did not sound altogether comforting. Then, in Anglo-Saxon, Arcee answered, "That's the idea, yes."

The small party halted at a pair of wide doors, and Emrys took Rafael aside. "Listen, young man. You understand much of what I say, do you not?" Rafael nodded eagerly. "Good. Now there's a chance that this could all go horribly wrong. I've some things to gather from my old quarters. Have you any knowledge of alchemy or the mixing of elements?" Again, Raf nodded, and behind his glasses his eyes sparkled. How many boys could say they'd helped Merlin with science experiments? Emrys clapped him on the shoulder and disappeared into the darkness. "Then I leave you in Sir Bors and Sir Galahad's capable hands." Then, to Miko, "Do try not to provoke Arthur, my lass. He means well, but he will not tolerate impudence."

With this warning in their ears, they stepped into a wide hall and found the king having his armor buckled on him by servants. He looked up at the sound of the doors opening and all movement in the room ceased. "King Arthur," Bors bowed. "Bors." Arthur answered evenly. "You are aware that your companion has been banished from this court, not to return on pain of death." The knight held his head humbly and low as he answered. "My nephew comes not as your knight anymore, your majesty. He stands on behalf of visitors from another land who wished to speak with you." Then, proudly, "Galahad did not think it fitting that a young maiden should have to appear before a ruler strange to her without a champion."

Arthur turned a bemused expression towards the oddly dressed girl with the equally strange hair. "And who is this young woman?" he asked, motioning her to approach. Miko made a discreet hand gesture to her companions not to interfere and then quite suddenly transformed into someone else _entirely_. She held her head high and narrowed her eyes, hands folded demurely before her. "Am I to presume that I am speaking with the ruler of this land?" she asked in a regal voice. Raf spluttered and choked, startled, and Jack had to reach up and force his own mouth closed. They had completely underestimated how many fantasy movies Miko had watched.

"I am Arthur, called Pendragon. I am indeed the king of these lands. Who then, are you to stand so impertinently before me with a banished warrior? Did your parents teach you no respect?" At this, Miko feigned a look of grave offense. "In my own country, one does _not_ bow before a _stranger_! There is, you understand, no guarantee that the stranger will not use the moment to remove your head from your neck!" Raf and Jack exchanged a quick glance. **'I don't know if this was such a good idea, Jack.' **The older boy grimaced. **'Optimus made the decision, Ats'ka. I guess we're about to find out if it was a bad one.'**

For a moment it seemed as though the king would be angry, and Bors quietly nudged his nephew. "If aught goes ill, take the girl and run. I'll take the lads." But then Arthur only raised an eyebrow. "Yours must be a very warlike people indeed, maiden. It is a pity one so young and fair had to learn such manners to survive, but I fear that is the way of the world. Come, tell me your name, child. Why have you come?" Miko relaxed her posture and smiled, and the men realized she had accomplished her goal: she'd gotten Arthur's attention. The girl dipped her head politely. "I am Mikoto of- " she thought for a split second, "of the kingdom called Seibertoron. My companions and I have come on an errand from our king: there is a man taking refuge in your courts who flees justice. He calls himself Gunner."

"_Gunner_?" So. This is where he had come from. In hindsight, the king supposed he ought to have considered the possibility that the man had been some kind of fugitive. For the girl's sake he hoped that her companions were as dangerous as Gunner surely was. "What is it that he stands accused of, lady?" he inquired. Miko thought for a moment and realized that she wasn't sure "time travel" counted as a crime. She turned to the boys. **'Raf, how do I say this?'** The smaller boy replied very quickly in English, and she nodded her thanks. "He has killed many people without honor, without even giving them a chance to defend themselves, and he conspired to tamper with creation."

To Arthur's discomfort, the strange maiden turned to point at the child that stood among the men that had accompanied her. "I watched Gunner try to shoot _that_ boy when he himself was unarmed. Luckily, he missed. We pursued him here, and we mean to take him back." Having finished, Miko crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one foot. Arthur closed his eyes in thought. "And how do you intend to accomplish this?" He directed the question at Bors, rather than Miko. "My king, I believe that they would prefer the cooperation of the kingdom in this matter," he answered, stroking his beard, "But even without your consent, if they who wait outside believe these young ones to be in danger, they will surely tear the very walls apart to find them."

Arthur's hands tightened into fists in the excess folds of his cape. "You speak of the giants?" Though his voice was calm, his eyes were troubled. "I see that it is as I have been told. They are shrewd indeed, sending a _maiden_ to ask what _they_ could not." He stood, and his cloak fell to brush the stones at his feet. "Leave us." He gestured imperiously to them. "I will speak to Sir Bors alone." Miko and the three boys were unceremoniously pushed out into the corridor, and the doors were shut behind them. After a long silence, the king murmured, "It is...good to see you again, my friend." He looked slightly wounded when Bors only nodded.

Bors was in no mood to be compassionate. "The girl speaks the truth sire. Now that those outside your court as well as within have said it, will you at last believe that Gunner is not to be trusted?" Arthur began to pace back and forth, gripping the hilt of Excalibur in his stress. "I believe a man should be given the chance to defend himself." Bors's reply was stiff and scathing. "Then my lord has changed his opinions since last we met." This time, Arthur winced visibly at the rebuke. He tried to sound stern and in command. "Those are harsh words to speak to one's king, Bors." Armor plates clinked and clashed softly against each other as the knight took a step forward. "Better to suffer a blow from a friend than a kiss from a false supporter, sire. It is said that wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses."

There was nothing to be said against the statement, for Arthur knew in his heart that he had made the wrong choice. "People are watching Bors, I _cannot_ just act as though I can contradict my own orders any time I don't like the consequences. I promised Gunner protection for as long as he aided us. Would you have me go back on my word?" It was indeed a difficult situation, but Bors thought there might yet be a way out. "My lord, if he were to fail in his half of the bargain, would you not be justified in undoing all that he has done?" Slowly, the king's eyes brightened. "I would, at that. And perhaps in the expulsion of the traitor, six of Camelot's bravest knights might be restored to their rightful places?"

"They could at that, sire."

* * *

><p>"How long is this supposed to take?" Bulkhead growled. The green Autobot paced back and forth. "Patience, Bulkhead," Optimus stood with his optics shuttered, listening to the world all around. "We are aiming for the king's cooperation, not his enmity." Bumblebee burbled and buzzed grumpily to himself. "Yeah? Well keep it to yourself!" Ratchet grumbled back, "Because so help me, if you get the Complaining Song stuck in my processor, I'll make you regret it!" The medic shot a warning glare at the youngling, then glanced down at his wrist monitor. "All life signatures stable and steady. Whatever's going on now, at least they seem to be out of danger." Which was, naturally, the moment that the heart rates of the humans increased.<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>You<em>?!"

The man was handsome, they would give him that. Long golden hair framed a squared jaw and a very neatly trimmed beard. The tall knight glared down at their little band, or rather, at one particular member of that band. Galahad took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He kept his face utterly blank, but Raf could see his hands shaking. "Sir Lancelot," the warrior returned with barely a quaver in his voice.** 'Oh scrap, that's Gal's dad!' **Miko raised her eyebrows at the others. Jack narrowed his eyes at her. **'Okay, one: that is a terrible nickname for him. Two: I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say Lancelot isn't everything he's cracked up to be in the fairytales.'** Raf made a scoffing noise and reached up to grip Galahad's hand in support. **'He wasn't even that great in the fairytales! Remember the whole Guinevere thing?' **

**'So what do we do if Lance gets violent?'** Miko quietly moved to stand at Galahad's back as Lancelot took a threatening step forward. "You were _banished_, Galahad," the man growled, "not to return on pain of death! Yet you defy Arthur and return still?" Jack stepped in front of Galahad and crossed his arms, knowing that Arcee was literally around the corner. Emboldened by this knowledge, he grinned up at the famous knight and uttered his first full sentence in Anglo-Saxon:

"Wanna make something of it?"


	21. Chapter 21

**This is very nearly the end of the story. As such, I feel it only fair to warn you that this chapter may in fact he considerably longer than the predecessors.**

**And so it begins...**

* * *

><p>Chapter 21<p>

Sir Lancelot raised an eyebrow. He didn't know who these strangers surrounding his wayward son were, but they were definitely hostile. Even if he was a lawbreaker and an exile, Lancelot wasn't sure he wanted Galahad to be in their company. A family had to maintain _some_ pride, after all. "Where is Bors?" he asked awkwardly, "I know that he left when you were banished." Galahad seemed to flinch slightly at the reminder, then recovered. He held himself with a gravity Lancelot was not used to seeing in him as he answered, "Sir Bors is in conference with the king." Well that was just as well. Bors and Lancelot had not parted on amiable terms on account of the boy. Bors thought he should have stood up for his offspring and defied the king, and Lancelot thought Bors should stop coddling the boy and let him learn to fend for himself.

"Galahad," Lancelot began, "Put down the blade. Why don't you and I talk as men? Come, we can come to some sort of arrangement, can we not?" He motioned for the younger warrior to follow him, but to his surprise, Galahad stood his ground. "I apologize, Sir Lancelot," he said very stiffly, "But I've a duty to perform and I shall not be satisfied until I have completed it." At his side, Raf grinned up at him. "Well said!" he laughed, though his American accent made it difficult to understand him. "And what duty is this that you are called to?" the elder knight asked suspiciously, "It cannot be one set by Arthur, for he forbade your return!"

Miko leaned casually against the dark-haired knight's shoulder and brazenly yawned. "Galahad has been entrusted with my safety and the safety of my brothers here until our people come to some sort of agreement with your people." Lancelot took this to mean Galahad had been take into the service of a foreign king. While it was still a disgrace upon him and his name, Lancelot reflected that a knight-errant could do worse. "What arrangement do you speak of?" he asked, genuinely curious. Miko held his stare with equal bravado. "That the king turn Gunner over to us so that we may bring him to justice." At this, the bearded knight scowled and turned to his son. "We have been over this! The king promised him protection and it is treason to speak against him!"

"Their people would describe the situation differently," Galahad dryly answered. The question "what people" was already on Lancelot's lips when the shout echoed down the corridors, "_All warriors to the battlements! Giants! Giants at the gate!_" His eyes narrowed at the smirks on the faces of the strangers. "Our people." The one who had challenged him bared his teeth in a fierce grin, made all the fiercer by fading bruises and cuts around his face. There was a long pause with no sound but their breathing and a curious humming from around the corner. "You're rather small to be giants," Lamcelot remarked in a cold voice, "But I suppose you must be very _young_ giants. I have made a vow before witnesses to kill any giant that ever comes to our gates."

He let the statement sink in, and noted the way Galahad and the other boy shifted stance, as if preparing for battle. Then, with a swish of his cape, Lancelot turned his back on them. "You've some growing to do before there is any honor in dueling _you_, boy," he said, and he waved his hand dismissively.** 'So said Goliath once,' **Raf remarked thoughtfully, **'But then he took a sling stone to the face.' **Lancelot did not need to understand the words to know that his odds of winning a fight were being questioned. "I am needed upon the wall to deal with your...friends," he said coolly, over his shoulder. "I haven't time to deal with you and that is all. Do not mistake me Galahad: you have defied the king - and me - twice now, and I will see you answer for it. Just not at the moment."

He did not see the quartet's posture relax as he disappeared through an archway, nor did he see the gleaming form of an unearthly metallic woman join them in the hall.** 'Well now that Goldilocks is gone, maybe we can get to work finding Gunner,' **Arcee snorted. Absently, Miko reached up for a fist bump. **'Huh. Goldilocks. Nice!' **Arcee didn't much like waiting around in the hall for something to happen, especially with knights wandering about. Still, she had to concede that she was better off here than in the throne room, with a king who already seemed to have a chip on his shoulder regarding her species. She would stick with the kids. The others could handle the soldiers, right?

* * *

><p><strong>'I don't know if we can handle the soldiers,'<strong> Bulkhead mumbled. Bumblebee buzzed his agreement. They were just about eye-level with a wall full of armed men. **'I mean, I don't think they can hurt us with their swords and arrows, but I don't think we can fight back without hurting them.' **The Wrecker and the Scout relaxed slightly when Optimus laid a hand on each of their shoulders.** 'We are not here to fight, Autobots. We are here to talk. Remember that.' **Bulkhead looked back at the walls and frowned. The plates on his back hitched up and clashed together as he pulled his shoulders up. **'Yeah, I'll remember. Just as long as they remember that that's ****_my_**** girl in there, and if she comes out with so much as ****_one scratch_**** I'm gonna make them ****_eat_**** those swords!'**

His round optics shifted into a narrow focus as more men joined the ranks of the knights on the walltops. Many of them were poorly dressed, with crude iron spears and swords. Most of them would probably shatter on coming into contact with Cybertronian skin, but the humans outnumbered the Autobots. Then, up the stairs came a man who looked more like a classical storybook knight than any of the other armor-clad men. He tied his golden hair back and brandished a shield, staring out at Bulkhead and the others with a dour expression on his narrow features. His eyes widened under his helmet as he took in the sight before him. Gunner had said the giants would be armored. He'd said nothing about their whole bodies being comprised of armor! There was no weak point to attack!

Lancelot began to feel that he'd made a rash and foolish oath when he'd sworn to kill any giant he saw. Still, he was hardly the type of man to admit defeat! "Archers, at the ready and hold for my signal!" he shouted. They would await the king's command, unless the monsters at their door made any threatening moves. If he had any reason to believe the fortress was in danger, he would not hesitate to do whatever was necessary to defend it. No cost would be too great, no method too extreme to bring these beasts down. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gunner, skulking about in the shadows and very obviously terrified.

O ho! So the great and terrible Gunner, so quick to belittle the knights and convince the king of their treachery, so eager to prove his superiority with his strange devices, was afraid of the giants? Now _this_ was information that Lancelot could use! He stormed over to the armorless man and shook him roughly. "Courage, man! Courage!" he shouted in false camaraderie "What, shivering like a maid? Act the man and stand forth, sirrah!" This drew stares from other knights, many of whom Gunner had cowed into silence with his pistol and GPS before. Not one of them would question his right to be there, nor side against him as he had brought them victory against the dragons. That didn't mean they all liked him.

* * *

><p>Arcee cocked her helm to the side and held up a hand. "Listen. Sounds like they're getting ready for battle up there!" The kids glanced at one another uncomfortably. "Normally, I would say 'let them come'," Raf began, fiddling with his glasses, "But these guys have been taking down Predacons, right? What if they figured out some Cybertronian vulnerabilities?" Jack frowned and crossed his arms. "I think we should split up. Arcee can take one of us and look for Gunner in the castle, just in case Arthur decides on no deal. The others can get back out to Optimus before things get violent." Arcee nodded. "Not a bad idea. Miko, you stay with Galahad, since you're the diplomat here."<p>

Miko made a face, but grudgingly admitted that this was true. "What about Raf? Who's he going with?" she asked. Raf pointed down the path Emrys had taken. "I'll go find Merlin and try to put together a diversion of some kind. Jack can go with Arcee." The older boy clapped him on the shoulder. "Good man! You sure you'll be alright?" The child pushed his glasses higher on his nose and smirked at Jack. "Sure! Can't be harder than dodging a psychotic zombie-Skyquake in the Shadowzone, right?" The two older teens grimaced at the memory, but agreed that he was probably right. "Okay gang," Miko made a dramatic gesture ending with her pointing straight towards the ceiling. "Let's split up and look for clues!" The others stared at her. "You've been saving that one for a _while_, haven't you?" Raf asked.

"So...who does that make us?" Jack sounded suspicious. Arcee grinned devilishly. "She just told us to split up, so that makes her Fred. She's staying with Galahad, so that makes him Daphne." Raf groaned and drooped. "Aww! I don't wanna be Velma just 'cause I've got glasses!" he whined. Jack glanced up at his partner. "Your choice, Jack. Hippie or Great Dane?" After giving the absurd scenario approximately four seconds of thought, Jack let out a long sigh. "Ruh roh." he said flatly. "Yesss!" Miko punched the air triumphantly. "Everything is proceeding as I have forseen!" Jack shook his head. "You would make a fantastic supervillain, ya know that?"

They turned and realized that Galahad was staring at them, eyes as wide as an owl's. "Annnd...we said all of that in English, didn't we?" Arcee sighed. "He has no idea what we're talking about." Of course, he wouldn't have known what they were talking about even if they _had_ been speaking in Anglo-Saxon. "That's the thing about these translator chips," Raf mused as he scooted off down the hall, "Once they assimilate to the surroundings, I'm never sure what language I'm speaking in!" He shot a thumbs up towards the others to let them know that he would be alright on his own, then vanished into the shadows.

* * *

><p>Arthur sighed and ran a hand over Excalibur's hilt. "I will <em>not<em> argue this with you, Bors. I did what I felt was necessary to defend my kingdom then, and that is precisely what I am doing now." Bors followed him to the doors, scowling. "Aye, I know that sire, but for the love of all that is holy, do not antagonize that man! Optimus Prime could be a powerful ally...or a very dangerous enemy." The doors swung open and they found Galahad and Miko waiting. Immediately suspicious, Arthur paused. "Where are the two lads?" he demanded. Miko shrugged as innocently as she could. "I sent them back to our people outside. They were doing no good here. Of course, young as Rafael is, I shouldn't wonder if he manages to get completely lost on the way."

Arthur frowned. "Galahad, escort the lady back to her people and do not at foot within my borders uninvited again. This time your life will be spared: defy me again and there will be consequences." He pushed past the young knight and stormed through the archway leading to the outer staircase. "Sir Bors, come with me. You can speak to this "Optimus Prime" on my behalf." The outer stairs wound up around a tower, looking out over the muddy courtyard, full of servants and livestock. The chill of the stone was driven away by the heat of the morning sun as the king strode out onto the balustrade. He froze upon seeing the so-called giants for the first time.

They were nothing like he'd expected. Their sizes and shapes varied widely, much like humans, but they could never be mistaken for humans themselves. It was immediately clear which one was the leader by the way he carried himself. Behind him, Bors nodded slowly to the titan, signaling that yes, this was the king. Arthur looked into the creature's eyes and saw emotion, intelligence, and an old soul. "Greetings," it said. It's voice was low and deep, and it rang with authority. Arthur nodded fractionally. "I am Arthur, ruler of these lands," he said sternly, "Who are you and what are your intentions?" Optimus shifted very slightly, locking his hands behind his back.

"My name is Optimus Prime, and I do not wish any hostility between your people and my own." This was it: they were about to find out what Miko had said to the man, and whether or not he would cooperate. Optimus did not want to start a war, nor did he wish to have to use intimidation here. Arthur tilted his head back and looked down at him. "Yes. The young woman mentioned that you sought a fugitive from justice that you believed to be hidden here. Tell me, Optimus Prime, what it is that this fugitive stands accused of? I protect my people, giant. I will not hand over an innocent man to an unknown fate."

"Understandable, but I would have you understand that I too wish to protect my people. Allowing this man to remain at large would have devastating consequences: not only for me and mine, but for your entire race. The dragons and the meddling of the fugitive will awaken something older and fouler than you could ever imagine, and your world as you know it will end." There was no lie in his uncanny eyes, and Arthur felt the chill anew. Along the line, the men fretted amongst themselves at the ominous words. It was as the girl had said. "If this is so, why have you not simply taken this man from among my people? Surely you realize that none of our weapons could match your might?" _Save perhaps Excalibur,_ he added silently, but he felt no need to advertise this asset.

"We are not barbarians!" It was the red and white one that spoke, irritation radiating from his rough voice. "Autobots respect the rights of others." With a self-deprecating laugh, Arthur leaned one boot on the parapet and rested his arm on his knee. "_Rights_?" he sounded incredulous. "You are stronger, we are weaker. It is as simple as that. Such is the way of the world." Optimus took a step closer, shaking the ground. "But it is not _our_ way," he said gravely. "Those with strength are responsible for the way that strength is used. I would not have it said of me that I abused the power given to me and acted without honor."

After a moment, the king smiled softly. "Well said, Optimus Prime." There was one final test he had in mind. "Tell me, do you see the accused man among these soldiers?" The giants scanned back and forth a moment, and then as one they lifted their arms to point in solemn judgment. In the shadows, Gunner froze, and found all eyes upon him, for the condemning hands of the Prime and his men pointed to him.

* * *

><p>Rafael slipped from shadow to shadow in the dark interior of the castle as silently as he had navigated the streets of the Alternate Jasper. "Emrys!" he whispered, as loudly as he dared. It occurred to him that if it were to happen that Gunner were inside the castle, there was little to nothing that a twelve yet old boy could do to stop him. He crouched, hoping to avoid notice as two raggedy serfs dashed past, muttering in a language more Celtic than Anglo-Saxon. He was just about to stand again when someone plowed into him from behind. With a loud "<em>Oof<em>!" two small boys tumbled down three broad steps in a tangle of arms and legs.

"Watch where you're going, witless!" the stranger snapped. He looked to be ten at the oldest, tangled blonde hair covering most of his face. "Where _I'm_ going?" Raf scoffed, making heavy use of his translator chip, "I was standing still! _You're_ the one that ran into _me_!" They glared at each other a moment, then the scruffier boy mumbled, "Oh. Apologies then." He stood and brushed his hair out of his face as Raf got to his feet. "I don't recognize you. Were you brought here by knights too? I came here looking for my father. My mum said I should, but then she disappeared." He shrugged nonchalantly. "She's _always_ doing that."

"Oh. That's...that's terrible! I hope your mom comes back soon," Raf awkwardly shifted from foot to foot. "Hey, you haven't seen a tall, weird guy with short hair and a scar on his nose, have you? Has an accent like mine?" The other boy nodded. "Yeah, I know the one. The king's new "favorite"." He spoke with a childish contempt and spat to the side. "He banished some of his most loyal knights for that fellow...hope it was worth it if enemies come to the gates. What do you want with him?" He sputtered as the strangely dressed lad he'd run into simply answered, "I'm hunting him down so my family can drag him back to our country to face justice."

"...what?" The child stared at him as if he'd grown a second head. "You're mad. You must be. Did you not just hear me say that he was a favorite of the king? It wouldn't matter if he'd sold his sister to Rome, he's under Arthur's protection!" Raf turned and placed both hands on the skinny boy's shoulders. "No one is above the law." he said firmly. "Not even the king?" his companion gasped. "_Especially_ not a king," Raf nodded. To his left, an old voice rang from the doorway. "Rafael! Rafael, there you are lad. Come, let's get back out to your friends. I've a hunch they'll be needing a distraction soon." Emrys hurried out of the shadows, caught Raf by the shoulder, and hustled him towards the side had that had first granted them entrance.

The other child stood in the corridor with a bemused expression on his filthy face. An ill-tempered man barged through moments later. "_Mordred_!" he bellowed, "What are you standing around for, worthless brat? Get back to work!" He aimed a kick at the boy, but Mordred's was quicker than he and dodged back towards the servants' quarters with a resentful glare. "Not even a king is above the law, eh?" he murmured to himself, "_Interesting_." A sly look passed through his eyes, so quickly that you would have thought you had imagined it. And then it was gone, and he simply stared out at the courtyard where the mysterious other boy had disappeared to.

* * *

><p>Gunner had three choices, as he saw it. One, he could shoot the guards around him, run out of bullets, and bank on the knights' shock to give him time to run before the Autobots grabbed him. Two, he could surrender and hope the Autobots were in a merciful mood. He curled his lip at the notion and turned to his third option: he could fight.<p>

The knights were all staring at him, waiting for him to make a move, yet were still caught off guard when he struck. Iago's years of military training kicked in as he darted forward. The man tucked himself into a somersault and came up next to Arthur, pistol in hand. "Alright, that's far enough, Prime!" Before anyone could move, he'd wrapped an arm around the king's throat and pressed the muzzle to his head. "All of you, get back!" he shouted at the knights.

"You've seen this thing in action, you know what I'll do if you so much as twitch!" In his grip, Arthur snarled curses at him. "Treacherous dog! I gave you asylum and _this_ is how you would repay me?" Further protests were cut off by cold steel against his temple. "Nothing _personal_, Pendragon," Gunner hissed, "Please understand I hold you in the _highest_ respect. But desperate times, desperate measures and all that." Sweat rolled down into his unkempt beard as the MECH agent turned his attention to the Autobots. "Now you. Back off, or I blow Arthur's brains out!" The little yellow one pointed at him and made a series of angry buzzing noises, but was restrained by Prime.

"Don't be a fool, Gunner!" Ratchet snapped, "You'll corrupt the timeline even more than you already have!" Gunner glanced down over the parapet. "Yeah, not interested in anything you have to say, alien. You, Prime, tell them to retreat of they'll be cleaning the king off the stones for days!" Optimus put out a hand to stall the others and sent a silent communique to Arcee. '**_Gunner is here on the rooftop. He is holding Arthur at gunpoint. Can you ambush him?_**' Arcee's response was reluctant. **_'Yeah, I can drop him, easy. But I don't really want to have to kill him in front of the locals.' _**Then Jack's voice broke into the line. **_'Uh...Optimus? If he dies, what happens to us?'_**

Optimus frowned and activated his battle mask.**_ 'I do not know, Jackson. We must attempt to capture him without killing him. I will stall Gunner. Arcee, try to get the gun away from him.' _**Bulkhead tapped into the conversation with an apologetic sigil, somewhat akin to tapping Prime on the shoulder. '**Wait! Where are Raf and Miko?' **He did not relax until a side gate opened and four small figures hurried out. "Here we are! Here we are," Galahad shouted cheerily. He turned and waved up at the walltops. "Hullo, Father! I've been banished again! That's twice in one year. Are you terribly ashamed?" Miko elbowed him roughly. "Dude, what are you doing?!" The twenty year old grinned down at her. "Making a scene. What does it look like? Trying to distract Gunner, er, dude."

Emrys nodded in approval. "Good thought, young Galahad. The Healer's boy and I may have a more...er...explosive solution, however." Miko backed up and held up her hands. "If there's fire and it goes "boom", I have no issues with it whatsoever." With an impatient grunt, Ratchet reached down and lifted the wizard and the boy. "Whatever you're going to do, do it soon! Gunner is getting impatient!" Raf nodded and handed the old man a flask. '**It's okay, Ratchet! I saw this on a Macgyver once.' **The medic rolled his optics at the statement. **'My confidence has been restored,' **he fired back sourly.

Gunner squinted down at the humans in the red and white Autobot's hands. What were they doing? If the humans were outside with them, maybe they were preparing a retreat? In hindsight, he hadn't realized the aliens' human allies - or were they pets? - had been dragged along as well. If he hadn't known what role the elder one had had in the downfall of Silas, he'd have attempted a rescue. But that was neither here nor there. The old man and the little boy he'd shot at in the warehouse were shaking a few containers, it looked like. But why would-

POOF!

A cloud of white rose to obscure the 'Bots, and everyone on the walltops gasped. Without thinking, Gunner snatched Excalibur from its sheath at Arthur's side and held it out in front of him. This raised a commotion with the knights, who shouted in outrage, though none dared come forward to stop him, for he still held the gun to Arthur's head. "Enough!" Desperation rose to new heights as he realized that it would be all too easy for one of the aliens to simply grab him off the wall.

In retrospect, his next move could only be described as sheer idiocy.

He saw the hand coming in the fog, and swung with the heavy blade. Bumblebee cried out in pain and dropped back, energon drilling from a small but deep cut. '**Bumblebee! Are you alright?'** Optimus inspected the wound briefly before pushing his scout behind him, towards Ratchet.** 'I'm okay, Optimus. Watch it though, armor doesn't stop that blade!' **With narrowed optics, the Prime turned back to the wall. **'Then let us see how it fares against a blade.'**

The archivist and historian part of him mourned the destruction of the mythic blade, but if it damaged even Cybertronian armor, then the other humans' weapons stood no chance against it. Excalibur had been a force for good, but any weapon in the hand of an evil person, or even simply an unwise one, can be used to devastating effect. Optimus drew the Star Saber and held it out in front of him. A glow like blue fire shot up the length of the broadsword, lighting his silhouette in the smoky cloud. "Lower your weapons, Gunner, and surrender!" he ordered. "You are making this unnecessarily difficult for yourself." He would not swing the sword at even hot his regular strength, or the wall would crumble and all those in it would perish.

With an angry, unintelligible yell, Gunner dropped the gun and swung with all his might. Now that he knew Excalibur could wound them, he felt an exhilaration, a savage desire to see the blood of these creatures spilled. With a resounding clang, Excalibur caught on something and held. Optimus was surprised that Excalibur did not shatter on contact. It must have been made from something at least as strong as the Star Saber, perhaps even an artifact from whoever had brought the Predacons to Earth. Still, as mighty as Excalibur alone was, it was only as strong as its wielder, and the strength of a Prime far exceeded the might of a human.

The moment Gunner had dropped the gun, Bors had dragged Arthur away from the edge of the wall and stood in front of him, shield at the ready. "Milady, now is the time!" Bors shouted over his shoulder. The soldiers parted in a hurry, more flustered than before, as an armored woman, nine feet high at least, rose from the stairs. "Jack, get his gun!" she yelled as one of her hands collapsed into the shape of another one of the strange firing devices that she called a "gun". Lancelot assumed it was named after Gunner, who he guessed to have created the first one. After the metal giantess came a dark haired youth in odd garb, who slipped between them quickly and snatched up the fallen weapon.

He shouted a confirmation in a language unknown to them as the blue woman dove for Gunner, who was still struggling with all his might to repel the Star Saber. Optimus loosened his grip and allowed Excalibur to push his own blade an inch of two back. He needed to keep the treacherous man's attention fixed on the "battle", and so he allowed the agent to think he was succeeding. Iago Gunner would never know that he had not faced even a tenth of the Autobot's full strength. Just as he was beginning to picture cutting down the great Optimus Prime, Gunner heard the heavy green one shout, "Arcee! Now!"

One long metal arm suddenly pinned his own arms to his sides, and Excalibur clattered to the stone. "Jack, come here!" Arcee held out her other arm for the human as a sharp wind kicked up, seemingly out of nowhere. Jack paused to shake Bors's hand. "Tell Galahad and Gawain and the others goodbye for me," he said softly, "You guys are great." Bors gasped as the boy ducked to huddle under Arcee's protective arm. "But you couldn't speak our language! I thought you couldn't speak our language!"

Below, Ratchet gently placed Emrys on the ground. "Look after those numbskulls, will ya?" he grumbled, "Who _knows_ what kind of funny business they'll get up to without a crotchety old man in residence to straighten them out?" The old Anglo-Saxon laughed and patted the medic's foot. "I shall not forget you, friend!" he assured him, "nor your young apprentice!" Ratchet nodded once, then looped an arm round Bumblebee's shoulder and pulled Raf closer, waiting.

"M-milady Miko, I really don't understand what's going on," Galahad stammered. Miko punched his shoulder playfully. "Don't sweat it, kid. We almost never really know what's going on in this gang." The young knight looked utterly bewildered by her strange slang. "I think you are speaking in another language again..." he mumbled. Bulkhead reached down and scooped up Miko. "Yeah yeah yeah, so long, so sad. Take care of yourself, kid." He tilted his helm back as the winds became stronger. "I'm ready to go home!"

Then reality shook.

It was as if someone had taken the ripples of a stone thrown into a pond and reversed the concentric circles. Mud became concrete beneath their feet, the air grew thicker, more polluted, and then the world disappeared.


	22. Chapter 22

**Well, here it is everyone: the last chapter of the story. It's always a strange feeling to complete a tale. On the one hand, it's satisfying to know I made it through the beginning, middle, and end.**

**On the other hand, there's this sort of "now what?" feeling. **

**But enough of my thoughts: let's finish this wacky adventure!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 22<p>

The first thing Bulkhead heard was a car horn honking. The heavy Cybertronian lifted his helm cautiously and looked around. He was in the middle of a field, some twenty feet away from a road thick with traffic, partially obscured by a rising cement wall. The Wrecker laughed in pure relief. "Rush hour never sounded so good!" Bulkhead crowed. He opened his hands and Miko stood up, stretching. Gone were the tunic and sheet, gone were her strange dress and jacket from Alternate Jasper. Miko wore the same outfit she usually did now: jumper, tights, combat boots and all. "Is it over?" the girl asked. She shaded her eyes with one hand and took in the landscape. "Are we back home?" Her guardian set her down and transformed.

"Come on, Miko. I know a way to find out." He popped open a door and his charge scrambled up into his interior. Once Miko was settled into the front seat, Bulkhead opened a channel to the base.**_ 'Unit E hangar, this is Bulkhead and Miko. Uh, we need a Bridge home, do you copy?' _**Over his radio, a rough life greeted them enthusiastically.**_ 'Bulk! 'Bout time you checked in, it's been 48 hours since you guys left for that MECH mission. The commander's been wearing a hole in the floor over here.' _**Miko snickered at the image and leaned over to respond. "Aww, and here we thought he didn't care! Send us a Bridge, huh Jackie? We are ready to be home!"

As the familiar green vortex opened in front of them, the adventuring pair heard their fellow Wrecker ask,**_ 'How in the heck did you guys end up in Georgia?!'_** They didn't have an answer for him.

* * *

><p>Bumblebee stretched, and shook out his doorwings. To him, time-travel was like being funneled into an orange juicer and then squeezed out of a toothpaste tube. Most of his circulation had been cut off, eliciting a rather humorous display that almost looked like some manic dance as his internal nanite colonies did their best to shepherd energon through crimped and bent veins. He felt only a moderate loss of sensory data coming in from his extremities, which was as close as the yellow robot would ever come to understanding the human term "pins and needles". Bumblebee hopped back and forth, too impatient to wait for his repair programs to fix the problem on their own.<p>

**'Ooh! Ah! Ow!' **the youngling shook out his servos and pedes and scowled behind his ever-present battle mask. Looking around, he saw that they were in a mostly empty parking lot behind a store. It was bordered by a stretch of grungy trees that had a rather unfriendly feel to them. The scout shrugged and looked around. "Hey! We're back!" Raf's voice made Bumblebee turn.** 'Raf? What are you doing up there?' **he reached up and plucked the boy from the tree branch. **'I thought Ratchet was holding you!'** Raf shrugged and brushed the leaves from his sweater vest. "Ratchet is upside down now." he said nonchalantly.

Bumblebee followed the direction of his companion's gesture with his gaze. His optics widened and his wings drooped as he made an exclamatory buzz. Shaking his helm, the young Autobot made a call. **_'Outpost Omega? Bumblebee here. We need a Ground Bridge...and also someone to get Ratchet out of a tree.' _**The static crackling on the radio could not mask the surprise in the respondent's tone. **_'Bumblebee? Where've you been, man? It's been like, two days! Bulkhead and Miko just Bridged back in. Gimme a sec and I'll get over there to help Ratchet out...provided he doesn't throw a wrench at me.'_**

Raf giggled. "No guarantees, Smokescreen. Just bring us home, okay?" He grinned widely as the portal opened, revealing the friendly face of their fellow Autobot. "Now," Smokescreen said as he began to climb the tree, "How you guys got from Arizona to New Jersey in two days is beyond me. Magnus was freaking out...so be prepared if he demands a full statement when we get back." Ratchet grumbled excessively the entire time as Smokescreen freed his pede from the form in the tree, sending the medic to the ground with a rather spectacular crash. "Let's just go," he snapped, marching through the Bridge. "Annnd he's back," Raf smirked.

* * *

><p>Optimus Prime woke alone beside a lonely stretch of highway, somewhere in the U.S. "Interesting," he murmured, "It would seem that time displacement also effects spatial coordinates." He pushed himself up onto his knees and gazed about at the dry scrubland. "Then I imagine," he concluded to himself, "That we have all experienced unshielded travel through time and relative dimensions in space. Fascinating." Upon hearing the approach of a vehicle, the Prime quickly transformed and merged onto the highway. He was just about to comm the base when his radio crackled.<p>

_"Hey there, bobtail driver, this is Thunder Road, comeback?" _

As a precaution, Optimus activated his holoform to make it appear as though someone was driving before he answered the other truck. "Thunder Road, this is Rip Van Winkle, come on." he answered calmly.

_"Saw you pull in from the shoulder there, Rip. Need any assistance?"_

"Negatory, Thunder, just a black eye," Optimus responded quickly. "What's the 10-13 ahead?" Internally he smiled. Heaven help him if Fowler - or worse, _Magnus_ - discovered that the mighty Optimus Prime sometimes used cb radio codes when he was out alone! But then, he enjoyed talking to the drivers, who treated him no different than any other trucker.

_"Well it's looking like some kind of storm is whipping up about a mile east of us, might get a little hairy. Where're you headed Rip?"_

"I'm making for my home-20 in Nevada, Thunder. How about you?"

The driver of the Kenworth "aardvark" behind Optimus let out a low whistle. _"You've got a ways to go yet, Rip! You gonna have any shutter trouble? Tell you what, I can stick with ya as far as Armadillo, if you want, comeback?" _It was a kind gesture, and Optimus wasn't about to snub it.

"10-4, Thunder Road, that'd suit me just fine."

It would take him a little longer to get back to base, but at least he'd have someone to talk to.

* * *

><p>"That's it, I'm swearing off time travel for life!" Arcee joked. Jack laughed lightheartedly and ducked out of her encircling arms. He didn't want to sit next to the captured Gunner any longer than he had to, thank you very much! "Hey Partner, want to hit the library after we get home?" he asked, "I want to see whether our adventure made it into any of the King Arthur stories." Arcee stared at Jack with a blank expression. "Why would we be in there? Who's even going to remember?" she scoffed, "All those people are <em>long<em> dead!" Jack shrugged and only winced a little as his ribs protested. "I dunno, that's how it always works on tv. The hero makes it back, and somebody says, '_Hey I was doing research on whatever and I found a picture of the mysterious so and so who appeared out of nowhere: he looks like you!' _And then it's a picture of the hero in the history book."

The Autobot femme snorted softly and adjusted her grip on the captive MECH agent. "This isn't TV, Jack. Good luck finding your picture in a history book." The boy batted playfully at her, both completely ignoring the infuriated Gunner, who was currently cursing them very inventively. "Y'know, I think he's making about half of those words up," Jack yawned. The toll of all his adventures was finally catching up to him, and his energy began to fade. "Yeah, even so though, he's starting to drive me crazy," Arcee complained. With an irritated huff, she activated her comm. **_'Somebody please respond!' _**Arcee practically begged,**_ 'Jack and I are stranded in...uh...looks like Davenport, and we've got a thoroughly annoying prisoner. I need a Ground Bridge. And possibly a muzzle.'_**

**_'Jack! Arcee!' _**The familiar voice was both a comfort and somewhat worry-inducing. "Hi Mom, we're both okay!" Jack cut in quickly. The Bridge opened moments later and June Darby hurried through. "Jack!" She threw her arms around the boy with all the force of a freight train. "Don't you _ever_ scare me like that again, _either_ of you!" Releasing Jack from her stranglehold, the nurse frowned up at Arcee. "Where have you been?! All communications went out two days ago. We couldn't even track Optimus!" Arcee roughly nudged Gunner. "You can blame _this_ joker!" she grumbled. June turned to fix baleful eyes on the MECH agent, and Iago could have sworn he heard a wildcat growl.

"Oh." she sneered, "I remember _you_! You were with the goons that kidnapped me to get at Jack and Arcee!" The nurse rolled up her yellow sleeves and crossed her arms. "Guess that means it's payback time, huh?" Gunner whimpered and shrank back. "Are you...scared of her?" his Autobot captor asked, incredulous. "Predacons, I'm crazy enough to challenge. Arthur and the Round Table? Sure, bring it on. Autobots, I can handle. But angry mothers? Nooooo thank you!" Gunner answered. Arcee shook her helm and laughed. "Okay Jack, why don't you head home with your mom? This guy's rap sheet is long enough that I can probably drop him at just about any police station. I'll meet up with you when I'm done." Jack waved to the femme and hopped up into the green vortex with his mother.

* * *

><p>Back in the Unit E hangar, Ultra Magnus and Wheeljack and Smokescreen listened in disbelief as Miko and Optimus took turns explaining what they'd missed. (Well, it was really more like Optimus trying to explain while Miko provided commentary.) "By the second year there, the children had finally made it through the time schism and assimilated with their alternate timeline counterparts. It is to be wondered at that we never created a paradox! But then, the logistics of temporal and dimensional travel were never my greatest area of study as an archivist." Miko tapped his foot eagerly. "And the other Cybertronians! Don't forget about them!" she hopped up and down, just barely holding on to the small reserve of self control that was keeping her from blurting out the rest of the story from start to finish.<p>

Optimus sighed. "I had not forgotten, Miko." He glanced around, then thought of something. "Miko, I wish to see whether our...adventures...have impacted history negatively at all. Will you find records or stories from fifth century England for me? I believe you may locate them on the Internet." The girl seemed to warm instantly to the idea. "Ooh, good idea! I wanna see if they wrote down your sword fight with Gunner." Away she skipped, and the Autobots muffled smiles and snickers at the way Optimus relaxed slightly. He'd never really liked having to tell stories while someone else was talking. In fact, Ratchet could list at least six different occasions from before the War when Jazz interrupted a tale with commentary one too many times, and it ended in a makeshift brawl. But then, Ratchet also said sometimes that he remembered meeting the Thirteen as a young soldier, so no one was quite certain whether or not to believe him.

Agent Fowler entered the hangar to find friendly chaos. Ratchet and June were simultaneously scolding and fussing over Jack, who was having long bandages wrapped around his ribs. Raf was typing away on his laptop, yelling things about "timeline uncorrupted" every three minutes while Miko shouted out trivia about King Arthur and Camelot. Arcee wasn't talking to anyone: she was too busy refueling, and Optimus was apparently in the middle of a long explanation in technical language Fowler didn't understand. "Well look who's home!" he cried out in a jovial tone, "Welcome back, Prime." Optimus nodded politely to him. "We are all very glad to be back, Agent Fowler."

Jack noted the DVD cases tucked under the barrel-shaped man's arm and quirked an eyebrow. "Hey Fowler, what are those?" he asked. The older man grinned and pulled out the boxes. "Did you forget, Jack? It's movie night! I went ahead and grabbed a few that looked interesting." Curious, Bumblebee asked for the titles, and Raf quickly translated. "Uh...lets see. We've got _Ghost and the Darkness, The Lone Ranger, Star Wars, King Kong_..." One by one, the DVDs were set on the table. "Personally, I'm leaning towards this one." It was too old and blurred a picture to see what the title was. "Well what's it called?" Ratchet asked, only half interested. Fowler smiled. "It's H.G. Wells' 'The Time Machine'."

_**"NO!**_"

The agent jumped, startled by the outburst. The entire missing team, Optimus included, all stood in various poses of horror, hands outstretched as if to snatch the offending disc. "Uh...alright then...not that one, I guess." Bill muttered. "Forgive us, Agent Fowler, but there is a story and an explanation behind our reaction that concerns the missing 48 hours," Optimus admitted. With a chuckle, the government liaison shifted his weight and shook his head. "Sounds like one heck of a story, Prime! What happened?" Rafael closed his laptop, glanced nervously out the widow for any sign of birdlike Decepticons, and moved to stand next to the agent. "It's a long story."

With a knowing look, Bill Fowler ruffled the boy's hair and took a silver watch fob from his jacket pocket. Engraved on one side was the Unit E logo. On the other was a carving of the sword in the stone with the words "_Umquaam Honestum_". Fowler flipped open the watch and turned it so that Raf could see its interior. "William S. Fowler, Order of Goliath, first class," the boy read aloud. Fowler closed the watch, then turned twinkling eyes on the Autobots. "Wanna bet I know just _how_ long?" he smirked. Ratchet shook his helm. "You humans wouldn't believe us if we told you."

"Try me."

The end.

**author's postscript: this was not actually the original ending. The first ending was a tad bit sillier. Should I add that as a deleted scene/alternate ending?**


	23. Chapter 23

**I had more than one person tell me that the last chapter was too short, and that there were some questions I hadn't answered.**

**I'm taking some constructive criticism I received and hence this is an edited, longer version of the last chapter.**

**(the sillier ending will still be a bonus chapter, just not this one)**

* * *

><p>Chapter 22<p>

The first thing Bulkhead heard was a car horn honking. The heavy Cybertronian lifted his helm cautiously and looked around. He was in the middle of a field, some twenty feet away from a road thick with traffic, partially obscured by a rising cement wall. The Wrecker laughed in pure relief. "Rush hour never sounded so good!" Bulkhead crowed. He opened his hands and Miko stood up, stretching. Gone were the tunic and sheet, gone were her strange dress and jacket from Alternate Jasper. Miko wore the same outfit she usually did now: jumper, tights, combat boots and all. "Is it over?" the girl asked. She shaded her eyes with one hand and took in the landscape. "Are we back home?" Her guardian set her down and transformed.

"Come on, Miko. I know a way to find out." He popped open a door and his charge scrambled up into his interior. Once Miko was settled into the front seat, Bulkhead opened a channel to the base.**_ 'Unit E hangar, this is Bulkhead and Miko. Uh, we need a Bridge home, do you copy?' _**Over his radio, a rough life greeted them enthusiastically. **_'Bulk! 'Bout time you checked in, it's been 48 hours since you guys left for that MECH mission. The commander's been wearing a hole in the floor over here.'_** Miko snickered at the image and leaned over to respond. "Aww, and here we thought he didn't care! Send us a Bridge, huh Jackie? We are ready to be home!"

As the familiar green vortex opened in front of them, the adventuring pair heard their fellow Wrecker ask, **_'How in the heck did you guys end up in Georgia?!' _**They didn't have an answer for him. As Bulkhead drove through the Bridge, he noticed something. "Miko, you spoke in English." Her response was a rather crestfallen "yeah". Miko's fingers traced over the earpiece and translator chip. "I guess the under-the-skin thing was alternate timeline only." Bulkhead was not sure what to say at first. He didn't know whether being subcutaneous had had anything to do with the chip's long-term functioning before, but on the outside of the skin it tended to only work a few hours at a time.

"Aw, Miko, it's okay," the gentle giant said awkwardly. "We can get Ratchet to tweak the design and make it work better!" In his interior, he felt the girl pull her feet up onto the seat and sigh. "You'd think that after all the scrap I went through back there, they'd let me keep my ears. I dunno, like a consolation prize or something." In the reflection on the window, she could see that the bruise was finally fading. Miko hastily shoved the memories of how she'd gotten the bruise to the back of her mind, lest they lead her to memories of gunfire and blood. Guessing her mind, her guardian rolled to a stop in the main base, but did not transform. "It was an _alternate timeline,_ Miko." he said firmly, "It never happened. Chances are, you'll see that guy on the street somewhere, alive and well."

"Never happened?" Miko repeated in disbelief, "Then where did I get _this_?" She pointed to the bruise. "Who broke Jack's ribs then? Who..." her voice cracked, "Who held the rifle, smelled the powder, felt the recoil...pulled the trigger?" Bulkhead fought back a groan. He'd thought they were past all this! "Miko, I'm not saying that what we experienced wasn't real, but the timeline got rewritten! As far as we know, the Other Jasper never existed." Miko slipped out of the green vehicle and was about to retort when a dark grey hand scooped her up off the floor. "Wrecker!" Ultra Magnus boomed, "You didn't report in for forty-eight hours!"

"Sorry Chief!" the masking smile was back as Miko held up the chip and headset. "Comm stopped working!"

* * *

><p>Bumblebee stretched, and shook out his doorwings. To him, time-travel was like being funneled into an orange juicer and then squeezed out of a toothpaste tube. Most of his circulation had been cut off, eliciting a rather humorous display that almost looked like some manic dance as his internal nanite colonies did their best to shepherd energon through crimped and bent veins. He felt only a moderate loss of sensory data coming in from his extremities, which was as close as the yellow robot would ever come to understanding the human term "pins and needles". Bumblebee hopped back and forth, too impatient to wait for his repair programs to fix the problem on their own.<p>

**'Owww!' **the youngling shook out his servos and pedes and scowled behind his ever-present battle mask. Looking around, he saw that they were in a mostly empty parking lot behind a store. It was bordered by a stretch of grungy trees that had a rather unfriendly feel to them. The scout shrugged and looked around. "Hey! We're back!" Raf's voice made Bumblebee turn. **'Raf? What are you doing up there?'** he reached up and plucked the boy from the tree branch.** 'I thought Ratchet was holding you!' **Raf shrugged and brushed the leaves from his sweater vest. "Ratchet is unavailable right now." he said nonchalantly.

Bumblebee followed the direction of his companion's gesture with his gaze. His optics widened and his wings drooped as he made an exclamatory buzz. Shaking his helm, the young Autobot made a call. **_'Outpost Omega? Bumblebee here. We need a Ground Bridge...and a medical kit.' _**The static crackling on the radio could not mask the surprise in the respondent's tone. **_'Bumblebee? Where've you been, man? It's been like, two days! Bulkhead and Miko just Bridged back in. Gimme a sec and I'll get over there to help you out...provided Ratchet doesn't throw a wrench at me.'_**

Raf giggled. "No guarantees, Smokescreen. Just bring us home, okay?" He grinned widely as the portal opened, revealing the friendly face of their fellow Autobot. "Now," Smokescreen said as he noticed that Ratchet was trapped and moved to help him, "How you guys got from Arizona to New Jersey in _two days_ is beyond me. Magnus was freaking out...so be prepared if he demands a full statement when we get back." Ratchet grumbled excessively the entire time as Smokescreen freed his pede from beneath the unusually heavy dumpster, sending the medic to the ground with a rather spectacular crash. "Unstable Vortex manipulation!" Ratchet said by way of explanation. He grabbed the medical kit from Smokescreen and patched up the leaking dents as best he could. "Let's just go," he snapped, marching through the Bridge. "Annnd he's back," Raf smirked.

Ultra Magnus did not, as it turned out, demand a full statement from them, as he was a little more concerned with making sure all his Wreckers were right where he could see them. It had been twenty minutes, and he still hadn't let go of Miko, or Bulkhead and Wheeljack's shoulders. In fact, the only thing he said to the returning party was, "Doctor, I believe your joint efforts with Unit E to creates translator chip need work. Apparently it cannot survive electrical anomalies." Rafael removed his own headset with a gusty sigh and placed it on his work table. "I guess it was too good to last," he grumbled. Ratchet made a thoughtful noise, followed by a groan as he lowered himself to sit on one of the many crates in the base.

"I am _never_ leaving again!" the old mech muttered. "Professional homebody from now on!" Bumblebee nodded and shook out his doorwings again. He laughed as Smokescreen threw a friendly arm around his shoulders. "Bee, can we go racing? I have been _dying_ of boredom around here." Magnus quickly disagreed. "Absolutely not! We must all remain together until Optimus Prime returns." This sounded abysmally unfair to Smokescreen, but he let the matter be and sat down on the floor. He noticed that every few minutes, Ratchet would look up at Bumblebee and Raf, then go back to entering data into a personal file. If he didn't see the pair immediately following looking up, something akin to panic crossed his optics.

After one such occasion, he called out, "Rafael?" A little voice answered from the hammocks the human soldiers had installed for the kids. "Yeah? What is it, Ratchet?" There was a long silence. Then, "Nothing, Raf. I was just...making sure."

* * *

><p>Optimus Prime woke alone beside a lonely stretch of highway, somewhere in the U.S. "Interesting," he murmured, "It would seem that time displacement also affects spatial coordinates." He pushed himself up onto his knees and gazed about at the dry scrubland. "Then I imagine," he concluded to himself, "That we have all experienced unshielded travel through time and relative dimensions in space. Fascinating." Upon hearing the approach of a vehicle, the Prime quickly transformed and merged onto the highway. He was just about to comm the base when his radio crackled.<p>

_"Hey there, bobtail driver, this is Thunder Road, comeback?" _

As a precaution, Optimus activated his holoform to make it appear as though someone was driving before he answered the other truck._ "_Thunder Road, this is Rip Van Winkle, come on_."_ he answered calmly.

_"Saw you pull in from the shoulder there, Rip. Need any assistance?" _

"Negatory, Thunder, just a black eye," Optimus responded quickly. "What's the 10-13 ahead?" Internally he smiled. Heaven help him if Fowler - or worse, _Magnus_ - discovered that the mighty Optimus Prime sometimes used cb radio codes when he was out alone! But then, he enjoyed talking to the drivers, who treated him no different than any other trucker.

"_Well it's looking like some kind of storm is whipping up about a mile east of us, might get a little hairy. Where're you headed Rip?"_

"I'm making for my home-20 in Nevada, Thunder. How about you?"

The driver of the Kenworth "aardvark" behind Optimus let out a low whistle. "_You've got a ways to go yet, Rip! You gonna have any shutter trouble? Tell you what, I can stick with ya as far as Armadillo, if you want, comeback?" _It was a kind gesture, and Optimus wasn't about to snub it.

"10-4, Thunder Road, that'd suit me just fine."

It would take him a little longer to get back to base, but at least he'd have someone to talk to.

* * *

><p>"That's it, I'm swearing off time travel for life!" Arcee joked. Jack laughed lightheartedly and ducked out of her encircling arms. He didn't want to sit next to the captured Gunner any longer than he had to, thank you very much! Jack grimaced at his burned-out translator and shoved it in his pocket. "Hey Partner, want to hit the library after we get home?" he asked, "I want to see whether our adventure made it into any of the King Arthur stories." Arcee stared at Jack with a blank expression. "Why would we be in there? Who's even going to remember?" she scoffed, "All those people are long dead!" Jack shrugged and only winced a little as his ribs protested. "I dunno, that's how it always works on tv. The hero makes it back, and somebody says, '<em>Hey I was doing research on whatever and I found a picture of the mysterious so and so who appeared out of nowhere: he looks like you<em>!' And then it's a picture of the hero in the history book."

The Autobot femme snorted softly and adjusted her grip on the captive MECH agent. "This isn't TV, Jack. Good luck finding your picture in a history book." The boy batted playfully at her, both completely ignoring the infuriated Gunner, who was currently cursing them very inventively. "Y'know, I think he's making about half of those words up," Jack yawned. The toll of all his adventures was finally catching up to him, and his energy began to fade. "Yeah, even so though, he's starting to drive me crazy," Arcee complained. With an irritated huff, she activated her comm. '**_Somebody please respond!' _**Arcee practically begged,**_ 'Jack and I are stranded in...uh...looks like Davenport, and we've got a thoroughly annoying prisoner. I need a Ground Bridge. And possibly a muzzle.'_**

**_'Jack! Arcee!' _**The familiar voice was both a comfort and somewhat worry-inducing. "Hi Mom, we're both okay!" Jack cut in quickly. The Bridge opened moments later and June Darby hurried through. "Jack!" She threw her arms around the boy with all the force of a freight train. "Don't you _ever_ scare me like that again, _either_ of you!" Releasing Jack from her stranglehold, the nurse frowned up at Arcee. "Where have you been?! All communications went out two days ago. We couldn't even track _Optimus_!" Arcee roughly nudged Gunner. "You can blame _this_ joker!" she grumbled. June turned to fix baleful eyes on the MECH agent, and Iago could have sworn he heard a wildcat growl.

"Oh." she sneered, "I remember _you_! You were with the goons that kidnapped me to get at Jack and Arcee!" The nurse rolled up her yellow sleeves and crossed her arms. "Guess that means it's payback time, huh?" Gunner whimpered and shrank back. "Are you...scared of her?" his Autobot captor asked, incredulous. "Predacons, I'm crazy enough to challenge. Arthur and the Round Table? Sure, bring it on. Autobots, I can handle. But angry mothers? Nooooo thank you! I'm vengeful, not stupid." Gunner answered. Arcee shook her helm and laughed. "Okay Jack, why don't you head home with your mom? This guy's rap sheet is long enough that I can probably drop him at just about any police station. I'll meet up with you when I'm done." Jack waved to the femme and hopped up into the green vortex with his mother.

"Jack, I was so worried," June said quietly, hopping through to the other side. "I know, Mom. I'm sorry." Jack squeezed her hand. The ER nurse cast a practiced eye over her son and gnawed her lip. Traces of faded bruises around the face, flakes of dried blood in the hair, favoring his side slightly. Jack had been injured, and recently, yet though it had only been two days, the bruises looked almost a week old. "Sweetheart..." June tenderly brushed a hand over the young man's face with a questioning look. "Did MECH do this?" Jack grimaced and averted his gaze. "No, it was..." he sighed and started towards the hammocks. "Never mind. I'll explain when Arcee gets back."

"Oh no you won't, you'll explain right _now_!" June caught his arm. With a heavy clanking sound, Ratchet stepped over. "Nurse Darby, the nature of Jack's injuries is better left for private discussion. Not in front of the children. Perhaps when Optimus returns, but for now I believe we should focus on stabilizing your son's cracked ribs." The amber and white mech scowled fiercely down at the boy. "Arcee and Optimus informed me that Jack has been avoiding medical attention." June's grip on her son's arm tightened and she dragged him towards the medical bay. "Oh is that so?" Jack made a terrible face at Ratchet promising retribution for tattling.

* * *

><p>That evening in the Unit E hangar, Ultra Magnus and Wheeljack and Smokescreen listened in disbelief as Miko and Optimus took turns explaining what they'd missed. (Well, it was really more like Optimus trying to explain while Miko provided commentary.) "By the second year there, the children had finally made it through the time schism and assimilated with their alternate timeline counterparts. It is to be wondered at that we never created a paradox! But then, the logistics of temporal and dimensional travel were never my greatest area of study as an archivist." Miko tapped his foot eagerly. "And the other Cybertronians! Don't forget about them!" she hopped up and down, just barely holding on to the small reserve of self control that was keeping her from blurting out the rest of the story from start to finish.<p>

Optimus sighed. "I had not forgotten, Miko." He glanced around, then thought of something. "Miko, I wish to see whether our...adventures...have impacted history negatively at all. Will you find records or stories from fifth century England for me? I believe you may locate them on the Internet." The girl seemed to warm instantly to the idea. "Ooh, good idea! I wanna see if they wrote down your sword fight with Gunner." Away she skipped, and the Autobots muffled smiles and snickers at the way Optimus relaxed slightly. He'd never really liked having to tell stories while someone else was talking. In fact, Ratchet could list at least six different occasions from before the War when Jazz interrupted a tale with commentary one too many times, and Orion's irritated rebuke ended in a makeshift brawl. But then, Ratchet also said sometimes that he remembered meeting the Thirteen as a young soldier, so no one was quite certain whether or not to believe him.

Agent Fowler entered the hangar to find friendly chaos. Ratchet and June were simultaneously scolding and fussing over Jack, who was having long bandages wrapped around his ribs. "You've got no business complaining," Raf teased, "You're the one who wouldn't let Bedvyr finish wrapping your ribs earlier." Miko snorted and shook her head, having commandeered Raf's laptop. "I don't see us in here, but I found a story where Ysbaddaden is a giant." Bumblebee made an outraged squeak at the garbling of the story. Arcee wasn't talking to anyone: she was too busy refueling, and Optimus was apparently in the middle of a long explanation in technical language Fowler didn't understand. "Well look who's home!" he cried out in a jovial tone, "Welcome back, Prime." Optimus nodded politely to him. "We are all very glad to be back, Agent Fowler."

Jack noted the DVD cases tucked under the barrel-shaped man's arm and quirked an eyebrow. "Hey Fowler, what are those?" he asked. The older man grinned and pulled out the boxes. "I'm headed home after debriefing, folks. It's movie night! I went ahead and grabbed a few that looked interesting." Curious, Bumblebee asked for the titles, and Raf quickly translated. "Uh...lets see. We've got _Ghost and the Darkness, The Lone Ranger, Star Wars, King Kon_g..." One by one, the DVDs were set on the table. "Personally, I'm leaning towards this one." It was too old and blurred a picture to see what the title was. "Well what's it called?" Ratchet asked, only half interested. Fowler smiled. "It's H.G. Wells' '_The Time Machine'."_

"_NO_!"

The agent jumped, startled by the outburst. Jack and Arcee stood with arms outstretched in horror, then muttered in embarrassment and looked away. "Uh...alright then...not that one, I guess." Bill muttered. "Forgive us, Agent Fowler, but there is a story and an explanation behind their reaction that concerns the missing 48 hours," Optimus admitted. With a chuckle, the government liaison shifted his weight and shook his head. "Sounds like one heck of a story, Prime! What happened?" Rafael closed his laptop, glanced nervously out the widow for any sign of birdlike Decepticons, and moved to stand next to the agent. "You wouldn't believe us if we told you."

With a knowing look, Bill Fowler ruffled the boy's hair and took a silver watch fob from his jacket pocket. Engraved on one side was the Unit E logo. On the other was a carving of the sword in the stone with the words "Umquaam Honestum". It had been a gift upon graduating a grueling session of training with Unit E's U.K. chapter. Fowler flipped open the watch and checked the time. His calloused thumb brushed across the words carved inside the lid. "William S. Fowler, Order of Goliath, first class". Fowler closed the watch, then turned twinkling eyes on the Autobots.

"_Just try me_."

The end.


	24. Epilogue: Alternate Jasper Revisited

**Well the inspiration hit me yesterday at work and I thought: **_**what the heck. I haven't done anything with this in forever. **_**So: have any of you who liked the story been wondering what happened to the splinter timeline created by Gunner's time travel in the main story? Well if you were, you're in luck because so was I!**

**So this is a sort of addendum to the story, like an after-credits scene, showing the splinter timeline in Alternate Jasper.**

* * *

><p><em>Jasper: Revisited<em>

_The borders between Raa and Thoron territory: five years later_

A cold wind hissed through the treetops, stilling the cicadas that had been loudly complaining only moments before. The few birds that had been flying in the glen quickly made their way to trees and bushes, settling in to wait out the weather. A juvenile pine marten poked his nose out of his den, sniffed the air, and hastily scampered back into the tree trunk that served as his home. It was not a good time for hunting!

The abundance of information that these animals had was apparently lost on the lanky figure ambling through the forest. To his credit, he barely made more noise than a domestic canine might, and was thus probably not going to be as troublesome as many of the other two-legged creatures that stomped through every now and then.

He stopped at a copse of trees marked with bands of violet paint around the trunks, and the symbol of a fierce, birdlike face nailed to the innermost tree. This was the very edge of the Raa Anta's borders. Five more steps and he'd be trespassing into the Thoron Anta's territory. They had advanced much further in the last five years. A few decades ago, they were on the other side of the world.

There was considerably less fuss about that then the young man thought there might've been, given the circumstances. Perhaps because there was still talk of a truce being tossed around. The Draug Anta were not interested. They were wild, and unpredictable, and would suffer no other tribe to tie them down. The Hakarmaskannar Anta took no council and gave no answer, but no one expected them to. The Dragons kept to their own, and were entirely too possessive of their humans to consider marrying one off to the Speaker of another Anta.

Which was, of course, what the truce consisted of. The youth grimaced under the hood of his ratty sweatshirt as he headed into the center of the copse. He liked being here, between the two worlds, where nobody usually thought to look for him. The terms of the truce and the betrothal arrangement had been made when he was just a child, barely twelve years old, between Kerythcor of the Thoron Anta and Ar, king of all Anta (or so the humans called him). They would be finalized in two years, when his fiancee-to-be turned eighteen.

This had been unusual enough to be recorded in the history annals, as usually the parents of the human were the proper authority to make a betrothal arrangement with. The boy pulled his hood a little lower and gritted his teeth as he remembered just _why _Ar had to stand as his guardian in lieu of his own parents. Jasper had been decimated the day Magistrate Tulle tried to awaken the Sleeper with a blood sacrifice. Rafael knew he wasn't the only person who lost one or both of his parents that day, but he often felt that, as he was a Speaker, the humans that might've given him comfort - sometimes including his own siblings - did not quite know how to relate to him.

A heavy rush of air nearly bowled him over as the air filled with the sound of powerful wingbeats. He didn't have to look up to know that a graceful metal form had settled into the tree above him.

"What's the word, Mama-Bird?" he asked, and a dry smirk flickered across his face. That was his betrothed's preferred greeting with the Thoron deployer, having grown up under her watchful eye, like every other human in the Thoron créches.

Laserbeak clicked her talons impatiently on the branches and shook her rattling plumage. She was a little tense, Raf noted, and seemed almost worried.

"Speaker-chick been away too long!" she scolded.

"I know, I know, I haven't visited you or Frankie in forever. Or at least since last week," he playfully tossed a twig at the deployer, who did not even twitch as it bounced off of her plate armor.

"No," Laserbeak said, uncharacteristically stern with her favorite Speaker, "Gone too long from Raa settlement. Speaker-chick's sire send word to bring him home soon-fast. Bad weather coming. Maybe bad _things _too."

Raf groaned. "He's not my- - oh never mind." The teenager stood up, stretched, and brushed the dirt and leaves from his faded jeans. Something occurred to him, and he glanced up at Laserbeak suspiciously.

"Hang on a sec. Laserbeak, how do _you _know Ar wants me to come back? Were you spying on the Raa settlement again?"

The deployer huffed indignantly and flapped her wings, cuffing the boy across the back of the head. "Insolent Speaker-chick! All my manners-teachings, all wasted!" She lolled her head back as though wounded.

Well, dramatic Laserbeak was better than serious Laserbeak, Raf usually found. Still, he _was _a Speaker, and now that he was nearly grown up, he was going to have to abide by at least _some _of the formalities that the position entailed. Not sassing the Anta was probably one of those formalities. Not that, say, _Miko_ ever abided by that one, but she could get away with it: she had Andram and Tyaro at her back.

"Very well, I apologize for my insolence," Rafael said sweetly, though with his back to the deployer, she could not see him roll his eyes. "But my question still stands. How did you hear what Ar wanted?"

"Master is in the village," Laserbeak drew herself up, very primly. "Master is with Kerythcor and Ar and Fallaner."

Oh.

Raf suppressed an annoyed huff and hoped they weren't discussing his future - or rather, the two tribes' collective future as embodied by his impending marriage to Speaker Green's daughter - again. "Fine, let's go. It's getting cold out here anyway," he muttered. Taking a pencil and small notepad from his sweatshirt pocket, he hastily scribbled down a summary of everything he'd observed on his walk, then patiently allowed Laserbeak to wrap her talons around his middle and lift off.

"This was easier when Speaker-chick was tiny!" Laserbeak grumbled aloud. Rafael had the good sense not to comment on that.

The metallic condor dropped him at the edge of a wide clearing full of houses that might've belonged in Neverland or Narnia rather than real life, for many of them had been carved from wide, wide trees, and some of those trees were still growing. A young woman in a black tunic caught sight of the pair of them the moment they touched the ground. She turned so fast her long braid hit a bystander with a _thwack_!

"**Andram, Tyaro, Raf is back!" **she called out in the tongue of the Anta, "**You can call off that search party now."**

"**No we can't!" **Tyaro boomed, the red and green highlights of his armor twinkling, "**We still haven't found Jack!" **

Miko leaned on the long pike she favored as a weapon and shook her head, laughing lightly. "**Who, Y'ats'a? He's in the Great Hall categorizing the records again. Unless he went hunting with Iirt and Halya. It isn't Thursday, is it?" **

Raf sighed and trudged over to meet her. "It's Friday, **nene'**," he said with a yawn. "Jack hunts with Halya on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Today he wanted me to check something for those weird "prediction records" of his. He'll definitely be in the Great Hall." He held up the notepad and showed her the scribbles he'd taken.

"Huh. You were always the scientist of the three of us," the woman mused. "Since when is Jack interested in insect activity?"

"Got me. Maybe he's having visions again."

Miko's half-shrug was neither an agreement nor an argument as she took the notepad from Raf. "I'll give these to Jack. You'd better get to the Meeting Circle, **ats'ka**. I don't know what's got the Anta all twitchy, but **T'o't **was pretty adamant that all three of us be home and accounted for."

Raf didn't really feel like going to greet Kaivolkalma and Kerythcor, who were sure to be there with Ar and Fallaner, but he and the old healer had always gotten along well, so it wouldn't be all bad. He set off at a jog with Laserbeak flying low over him, startling several of the People of the Lion who were out in the open-air market as they passed.

The Meeting Circle was at the far north of the settlement, within a ring of boulders that were almost big enough to be counted as standing stones. Sure enough, even in the dim grey light, the telltale glimmer of crimson eyes revealed the Thoron Anta's presence. There was a somber look about them, and even the burnished red of Ar's plating looked a little dull as the clouds rolled in and the wind picked up.

Fallaner noticed them first and bent down to offer the human a hand up. Raf took the invitation gladly and was soon seated on the moss-covered Anta's shoulder. "Laserbeak said you wanted me back at the settlement?" he asked Ar, remembering too late that he was supposed to be using their language.

Ar nodded slowly. "I merely wished to make certain you were all accounted for, Rafael," he answered in English, indulging his smallest ward's choice of language. "There have been signs that something is coming, and we do not yet know if it is for good or ill."

"**For the love of battle, don't coddle the boy!" **Kerythcor barely restrained the annoyance in his rough tones. "**Tell the humans what your elder Speaker has seen. And stop using their tongue around him! He's a Speaker, he must practice the tonality of the northern dialect." **

"Why?" Ar answered in English again, with a faint smile. "You never cared about the upper-class tonality, why should he?"

"**I'm a barbarian and a warlord," **Kerythcor said drily. "**But he is a Speaker. And if he is to join the Thoron through marriage one day then he had best be well-educated when he does!"**

Hoping to avoid another unproductive argument, Kaivolkalma held out his arm for Laserbeak and motioned to catch Raf's attention. Across his shining black visor, coordinates appeared, and the sound of radar.

"Is that...space?" Raf adjusted his glasses, many times repaired, and squinted. "What's that signal?"

"That is precisely what we would like to know, **Erunestian**," Fallaner grunted. "It has the electronic signature of Anta, but we don't know _who_ yet. We have each sent a separate hail, but we have received no response as of yet."

Raf made a face. No one was quite sure why Fallaner was so intent on calling the trio of Speakers by translations of their names, but he was sort of glad that Fallaner was the only one who did. He, for one, had no intention of ever answering to "Erunestian".

Giving in to the peer pressure with a sour glare, Kerythcor slipped into using English words as well. "This discussion began hours ago, and during such meetings you are normally hanging upon every word and peppering us with so many questions that the original point is lost," he said sharply. "Yet this time you arrive so late as to miss it all. Just where have you been, Speaker?"

He was all bark and no bite; Raf knew not even Kerythcor would harm a Speaker, as they were somewhat rare. Still, he was obviously on edge about this signal as well, and it was always wisest to tread carefully when a Thoron Anta was agitated. Intending to appease him, Raf braced himself and switched to the harsher, mechanical notes of their language.

"**My fellow speaker asked me to gather information in the southwest quarter of the borders, not far from where Jasper once was," **he said, very _very _politely. "**Jack seemed to believe I might find evidence of increased insect activity there, and also asked me to watch for signs that the earth has been disturbed or in any way intentionally damaged. I found an unusual amount of wood boring beetles, and four trees that had been gnawed through by something very large." **

Then, feeling a little bolder, the boy stood up on Fallaner's shoulder and directed his question to Ar. "**Do you know what it was, T'o't?"**

Ar met Kerythcor's gaze and both frowned. Even Kaivolkalma, who was faceless by nature, seemed uncomfortable as he sent out scans to confirm the young Speaker's story. The cold wind whipped at them, growing from a hiss into a low moan as the first drops of rain began to fall.

"Is it the Elee-Ure Anta?" Fallaner asked no-one in particular.

Rafael discovered that he was unfamiliar with the "big-eyes-face" Anta, and decided to ask Jack about it later. Jack's late father had been the keeper of historical records, literature, and religious volumes dating back to before the Cataclysm, and continuing up to his untimely death. If a "Elee-Ure Anta" had ever landed on Earth before, surely the Darby records would show it.

The boy flinched and looked up into the heavy black clouds as thunder cracked like cannonfire, shaking the trees.

"Sound the shelter call," Ar said solemnly, "We must prepare for the storm."

**To be continued? Maybe, I don't know yet. I won't have time to continue this for quite some time, but if you guys are interested, let me know and I'll keep it on the back burner until I have an opportunity!**


	25. Epilogue: Storm Warning

Storm Warning

The great trees that held the huts and halls of the People of the Lion were old and strong. At the sound of the shelter call, humans left the markets and the gardens and the huts on the edges of the clearing and made for the strongest trunks. Those with room to spare opened their doors to those with nowhere to go, and before long every tree was filled and every shutter barred and reinforced.

Rafael found himself inside the Great Hall - a structure made from the intertwined trunks of two massive oaks that had grown out of a cavernous rock face. It had been easier than expected for the survivors of Old Jasper to convert the hollowed space into a clean, dry living area that could store the precious old books of the Darby Archives, and every year it grew more elaborate.

Rafael stood among some seventeen other humans in a hollowed-out depression paved with flagstones and covered in soft rugs salvaged from wrecked homes. Up three broad stairs ahead of them was an antechamber filled with bookshelves containing everything from _The Great Gatsby _to the memoirs of Frederick Douglass to one of the first Bibles printed in English. Further back, where the wood became stone, was a place Fallaner called a "scriptorium" where, on rare occasions, new books were made and added to the Archives. Carved into the walls and reachable by wooden ladders - that were _definitely _not as well made as the metal ones you could get at the market - were alcoves and cubbies meant for sleeping in. Half of them held refrigeration units for the random food items left on tables and desks. Those that didn't hold items would act as temporary shelters for the storm-refugees with the exception of the one highest in the gallery, which belonged solely to the Seer-Speaker, who was also to blame for the general oddness of the interior layout.

Most of the People of the Lion were known to whisper that the young Archivist was more than a little eccentric.

In fact, Rafael was one of the few who _didn't _think that Jack Darby was crazy, and even then it seemed that only the Anta Ar and F'ar _truly _understood him.

Raf helped a few of the villagers present to shut the massive doors against the rapidly worsening winds and the rain that was beginning to stab down into the clearing like tiny needles, then he turned to look into the antechamber, where Jack sat bent over an old-fashioned writing desk. Despite the fact that humans had been able to use digital data recording devices for decades now, Jack preferred the feeling of pen and paper beneath his hands, and wrote his reports almost exclusively on parchment in black ink.

He barely looked up as Rafael approached the desk. The majority of his attention was focused on the page before him, which was covered in shorthand scribbles. Raf could not make out most of them, but from where he stood he was able to read "forest-eaters" and "the colony is burning". At once, he knew what was happening. He noticed his hastily-scrawled page of notes from earlier and realized that Miko must have brought it in before the shelter call sounded. It hadn't even been touched yet. Raf picked it up and unfolded it before laying it back down on the desk.

"There, **Y'ats'a**," he said quietly, "I did what you said. My observations of the borderlands revealed a marked increase in insect activity and several instances of destruction that we probably can't chalk up to the Draug Anta."

Jack glanced over at the notes and jotted down brief summaries of them into his parchment. His lips remained firmly pressed together and his eyes almost seemed glazed over, ready to drop into the deep shadows beneath them.

"How bad was it this time?" Raf asked sympathetically.

He knew that Jack really did see things that could not be explained, and that often these visions were not pleasant. But it was Jack's role as a Seer-Speaker to receive visions, have them interpreted by an Anta, and then advise the human leadership on their next course of action. He couldn't exactly say "no thanks, I don't want this power" after he'd been Marked.

Jack paused and laid down his pen. One calloused hand pulled down over his face, and thumb and forefinger traced over scarlet tattoos that curled around his eyes. They broadcasted to the world exactly what kind of Speaker he was, while the more generic Mark still lay in the skin behind his ear.

"I'd tell you, Raf, but I need to consult with Ar first," Jack croaked at last. "I need to know if what I saw this time are shadows of things that _will _happen, or if they're only things that _might _happen. A lot depends on the answer."

"As long as they aren't visions of the Sleeper reawakening, I don't mind," Raf quipped, and he leaned against the desk. "But if you want to talk to Ar, you'll have to wait until the storm is over and Kerythcor leaves."

If he'd been intending to startle Jack with the news that the leader of the Thoron Anta was present in the village, he was to be sorely disappointed. Jack's only reaction was a slightly confused frown as he turned his head towards the ceiling and inquired as to just _when _it had begun to storm.

Patiently, Rafael pulled the older boy's knotty wooden chair away from the desk as he explained that the storm had been rolling in for the better part of the morning, and had broken only half an hour ago.

It was far easier to move the chair with the Speaker still on it than it should have been, and that concerned him. Jack Darby was twenty-one, and should have had a little more weight to him. At the very least, he ought to have had more muscles built up from all the hunting he did with Iirt and Halya, yet Rafael at fifteen years of age and barely 123 pounds had removed the chair and Speaker from the desk with little effort.

His mother would have said something about it. Raf was able to call up the memories without as much pain this time, only a bittersweet feeling. His oldest sisters would probably say something too, if they suspected their youngest brother's friend was not at full health. But should _he _say anything? Rafael debated internally for a moment before feeling Jack's calloused hand around his upper arm.

"Rafael." Jack's tired eyes glimmered for a moment with that uncomfortable _knowing _look he sometimes got, and he managed a thin smile. "Thank you, for your concern, but I'm alright."

Catching the younger Speaker's skeptical glance towards his rumpled clothing and twitching fingers, the elder gestured to himself and huffed out a self-deprecating laugh. "Oh, fine. I'll be alright once the vision is interpreted and I know whether the colony has a reason to worry or not."

Rafael crossed his arms. Miko wasn't here to be the tough one, and Jack's mother had traveled to one of the Outlier nests to aid with the birth of triplets, and would not be back for days. Sierra had probably taken shelter in one of the other group bunkers, leaving the youngest Esquivel to handle things.

"When did you eat last, Jack?" he asked bluntly. If he were to hazard a guess, it had probably been more than four days. He looked as though his body had been pulling energy from the ketones for a while and was starting to move on to muscle proteins to keep running.

Jack furrowed his brow, trying to remember. "Can't have been _that _long ago. I ate some dried apple slices right before I sent you out."

"That's _all_?!" Raf was slightly appalled. "Forget the stupid visions for a minute and go eat something. Mild, mind you, and slowly. How are you even keeping a clear head right now?"

"I'm not," Jack answered in a pleasantly absent tone.

Raf muttered something distinctly Anta under his breath and turned to face the main chamber of the Hall, calling out to some of the other People of the Lion.

"Hey Ritter, can you go see if there's any saltines in the larders? And Louisa, could you make the Seer actually lay down for a minute or two?"

The two villagers he had called gave each other knowing glances and made their way into the antechamber.

"In one of his states again, is he?" Louisa asked, pursing her lips. "How he gets away with this while June is home is beyond me. He's going to do real damage to himself one of these days."

Jack made a grab for his notes, somewhat half-heartedly. He knew he had been neglecting personal care in his rush to copy down the details of what he had seen before it all became muddled mashes of emotion and scattered words, but he couldn't help but feel that it was terribly important that he work out the meaning of the vision as soon as possible.

"Ah!" Raf snatched the stack of papers away. "Never mind that, I'll organize your notes while you get some food and rest."

"That's not your division," the Seer-Speaker reproached him gently. "It's mine."

Miko didn't act as a diplomat for the four Peoples, Jack didn't try to solve disputes between both humans and Anta, and Rafael didn't try to interpret the future with enigmatic predictions. That's just how it worked, and how their Marks directed things. Still, Raf didn't think it would hurt anything if he at least tried to decipher the chicken scratch that was Jack's handwriting when he was tired.

"**I'm not trying to do your job, Y'ats'a," **he spoke in the Raa Anta dialect, hoping this would reassure Jack. "**Promise. I'm just tidying up."**

Jack seemed to accept this, and allowed Louisa to lead him to his little alcove and ladder as Ritter brought a package of the mild crackers, handing one wrapperful to him and dividing the rest between the sheltering villagers near the door.

As the howling of the wind grew more frenzied, more violent outside the safety of the Great Hall, Raf picked up the sheaf of papers and squinted at the writing. The lights flickered, and someone brought up the stash of lovingly-maintained lanterns from before the Cataclysm, just in case the solar spheres were knocked down. Raf picked up one of the lanterns and retreated back into the antechamber to examine the notes in private.

With Kerythcor and Ar's talk of "Elee-Ure Anta", and Jack's mumbling about "forest-eaters", and Raf's own observations in the woods, he was starting to put together the pieces of what might be going on. If even Kerythcor had been concerned, Raf suspected that Jack's vision would turn out to not be quite as inexact as he apparently hoped. More troubling was the hasty scrawl in the corner, "the colony is burning". Which colony? And why?

On the piece of parchment beneath the flurry of words was a single, large depiction of what almost seemed like a face. It had huge eyes and small mandibles where a mouth ought to have been. Raf could recognize that it was meant to evoke the idea of a crest, like the hawkish face of the Thoron Anta, or the lion-like shield of the Raa Anta, or the wolves of the Draug and the dragons of the Hakarmaskannar. So was there then a fifth tribe of the Anta that no one had told them about?

Frowning, Raf closed his eyes and reached out in his mind for the connection that allowed him to communicate over distances with the Anta.

"_**Iirt, are you in the village?" **_he asked silently.

The friendly scout instantly replied in the affirmative.

"_**Ah-yep. Wedged down between Andram and a hill to keep from flying away in this wind, but present and accounted for. Are you in one of the shelters, little friend?"**_

Raf didn't like being called "little", now that he was fifteen, but somehow he never minded when Iirt was the one saying it. He'd never really understood why, but since the day he'd woken up on the outskirts of their destroyed city, cradled in Fallaner's hands with Laserbeak, he'd felt a kind of connection with the yellow Anta youngling. Perhaps it was simply their shared role as youngest in a large family.

"_**Are there any Anta strata besides the Four?" **_Raf got right to the point. "_**Jack had a vision again, and I think Ar and Kerythcor might know what he's talking about when they get a chance to hear it."**_

Iirt was silent for a long moment, but there was no awkwardness to it. The young hunter knew the value of words, and so weighed his carefully when he spoke. Rafael guessed that he was thinking of the right way to phrase his answer, or else simply focused for a moment on the storm rather than the conversation. He waited patiently until his friend - _how odd to call such a gigantic and powerful creature "friend"! - _spoke again. The impression of images and meaning rose in Rafael's brain: being human, he did not receive words and glyphs the way the Anta did when using the internal communiction system.

"_**There are a few outliers, I guess. The Elee-Ure Anta are, well I suppose Ungwe could be loosely put into that category. They are parasites: wasteful things. Then there's foul things, dead things, but I don't think they rightly have a name. I wouldn't want to put a name to them, anyway."**_

Raf considered this, and decided that when the storm had passed, he would grill Fallaner for more information. The old healer rarely refused him anything these days.

"_**You don't think they'll find their way here, do you?" **_Raf mused, though he suspected he knew the answer already.

"_**Primus, I hope not." **_

The exclamation was unfamiliar to Raf, and registered as a gray space in his mind, an error message of a kind. Nevertheless, he understood its meaning: it was to be fervently hoped that Jack's predictions were in error, and that this alleged Fifth Anta had not come to Earth.

The walls shook and the lights flickered out. The storm raged on.


End file.
